“Winter Snow” by Tanner Silverpaw

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog. I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is

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Winter Snow by Tanner Silverpaw. Tanner Silverpaw is a grey wolf who has been dabbling in writing for a few years.

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He mostly enjoys writing gay romance stories,

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ranging from writing smutt to more complex and emotional stories,

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while still throwing in some saucy scense.

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He is currently working on trying to get one of his stories published into a novella.

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Besides writing, he also dabbles in producing music,

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mostly producing in the genre of

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Hands Up and UK Hardcore.

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“Winter Snow

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by Tanner Silverpaw

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I watched as snow began to pour down,

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little soft white crystals broke and melted

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when they hit the car's front window.

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I always loved winter.

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It left the world cast in white wonder,

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preserving the world around us in perfection.

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It was all so beautiful.

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I folded my paws on my lap and continued watching as the snow fell.

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My breath came out in barely visible puffs

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as the car started to warm up.

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I swept my tail over my paws to warm them up. " . . .

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Sam . . . ?" a voice called out.

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"Is everything alright?

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You’ve seemed . . . troubled these past couple days."

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I turned to find the big White Panther staring at me,

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worry set across his face,

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his brows tugged down into a frown.

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His snowy paw started to reach out toward my orange one,

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as if he was about to clasp it,

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then retreated back to the steering wheel.

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He faced forward and paid attention to the road,

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but occasionally glanced my way.

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My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment,

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tail tip flicking about.

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I stared at him for a couple seconds, and then looked away,

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my vulpine ears pulled back to my skull.

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"Yes," I lied. "Everything is fine. I've . . .

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just been busy with my study’s, that's all.

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all." My blush reddened as Jason looked back at me;

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he didn't seem to believe my lie, but didn't push any further on the matter.

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"I just worry about you, you know?"

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he said. Now my cheeks felt like they were on fire when he said that.

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Jason has been my best friend for a long time.

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We have always been there for each other for years,

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through the thick and thin.

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I don't know what I would've done or been when my parents kicked me out when I came out to them.

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He helped pick me up when I thought my whole world had crumbled around me.

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He didn't care that I was gay

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—a faggot; a queer.

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Just thinking of him holding me tightly back then,

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telling me that everything would be alright made my eyes teary.

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A hot jet of air blasted through the car's air ducks distracted me

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when Jason turned the heat to full blast.

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"Oh, thank god!" I said shoving my freezing paws against the vent. "Mmm . . .

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heat . . ." Jason chuckled and I giggled back.

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I can be so silly sometimes.

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I guess that's why we're such good friends.

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"Goof," Jason grinned.

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I bumped his shoulder across the car.

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"You know it," I said.

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In a happy mood, I turned on the radio and quietly listened to the music

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and went back to staring outside,

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a smile on my muzzle.

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At some point my mind must have wondered off by the gentle hum of the engine

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and the soft strum of acoustics and tapping of piano keys, because I noticed

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that the car had started to slow down to a crawl

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and then a full stop.

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"Hey, we're here," Jason said

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as he un-buckled his belt and started to open his door.

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"Ok," I murmured. Once outside, I pulled my jacket close to me at the sudden chill

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and pulled my hood up.

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I went to the back of the car and started walking with the big white cat

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as we made our way to the entrance of the movie theater.

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Unfortunately, we had to park near the end of the parking lot because it was packed.

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Shit . . . it's so damn cold outside.

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I may like how beautiful winter makes everything, but the cold weather is just killer.

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Jason draped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer,

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and without thinking about it I wrapped my arm around his waist,

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shielding my eyes away from the falling snow.

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I looked up to see if I had gone too far. But Jason just looked down at me and smiled.

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My heart melted into the cold night air.

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Oh Jason, how can I tell you that I . . .

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never mind. I dismissed the thought and just enjoyed the feeling of him holding me close for warmth.

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Jason and I hurried into the movie theater, sighing happily at the swarm of heat as we entered the building.

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We both rubbed our paws together to warm them up more

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and headed for the ticket booth.

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Jason put his paw on my shoulder and said,

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"Here's my wallet;

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go buy our tickets as I head to the bathroom.

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bathroom." He handed me an old brown leather wallet.

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I shook my head and handed the wallet back.

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"No. You always pay for the movie tickets

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I want to pay for them this time,"

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I said. Jason frowned down at me.

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"It's my treat." I shook my head again.

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"You always treat me.

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me." I smiled at him and put my paw on his arm.

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"Please . . . let me pay for us this time."

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The big cat looked down at me and looked uncertain,

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scratching the back of his head.

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He finally sighed and said ok.

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I smiled and bumped him.

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"If you want, you can pay for a drink and some popcorn for us."

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"Sure!" he grinned. "Sounds like a plan.

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plan." He took his wallet back and ambled toward the men's restroom.

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I stood there a few seconds,

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staring at the direction he disappeared

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and chuckled. It's kind of funny, but sweet how nice he is toward me.

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I sighed and walked to the ticket booth.

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There was a young mongoose behind the stand,

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typing away on a computer.

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She looked up at me and smiled.

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"Hello sir," she said.

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"How can I help you?"

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I smiled back and said, "Hi.

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Two tickets for The Rose 3."

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"Sure!" She nodded and started typing away on the computer again,

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the keys clicked as her claws struck away in rapid session.

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In like two seconds a set of tickets popped out.

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She handed them to me and said, "Here you go.

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Enjoy the show."

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I said thanks and waved goodbye.

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I sat down on a bench near the bathroom and waited for Jason to get out.

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Letting my mind wonder,

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I thought about the things that were going on in my life.

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"You ready?" Jason asked,

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breaking me from my own little world.

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I nodded and followed him to the concessions stand.

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We ordered a medium drink and small popcorn,

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and then made our way to the theater.

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The theater was pretty much empty except for the few people I saw sprawled across the area.

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We picked a row of seats near a ledge so we could rest our feet on it.

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Jason grabbed a small pawful of popcorn and popped it into his muzzle,

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then made a disgusted noise and rushed to drink some of the soda. "Ugh,"

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he groaned. "They put way too much butter and salt on this.

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My maw is drying up just thinking about having some more of that popcorn.

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Ew . . ." I giggled and tried some myself,

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thinking he was just over exaggerating.

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Oh. My. God . . . My fur bristled at the overpowering taste.

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I sighed and put the nasty over-salted popcorn down.

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"And this is why I never get theater popcorn."

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"Yeah, no kidding," Jason agreed.

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I licked the buttered salt off my fingers-pads,

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shivering at the taste as we waiting for the movie to start.

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"Hey, Sam?" Jason asked.

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"Yes?" I replied. "How do you think you did on that history exam?"

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"Good . . . I think. I hope I did well.

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I crammed for that damn thing for a week.

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week." It seemed like a weird thing to ask, but I guess since we have nothing better to do,

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might as well discuss school.

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"I know the feeling.

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My brain is totally fried from all that studying." "You and me both," I giggled.

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We talked some more about college and what's been going on in each other's lives before the movie started.

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It’d been awhile since we’ve had a change to hang out like this,

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so this was nice. The lights slowly dimmed down and the movie began,

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filling the room with silence.

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Halfway through the movie I looked at Jason to see if he was still awake

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and to my surprise, he was;

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I didn't expect him to still be up.

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This made me smile.

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I'm kind of a sucker for these

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medieval/renaissance love movies.

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Something about them just makes me happy.

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I don't know how Jason could stand to watch them with me though.

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He is such a good friend to tolerate my taste in movies.

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Jason reached over to grab our drink the same time I did

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and our fingers brushed.

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This made me shiver,

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my tail bristling as a spark ran down my spine.

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I looked away and blushed.

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"Oops! I'm sorry, go ahead," he said,

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his face turning red under his ashen fur.

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My tail whipped back and forth happily as I took a sip,

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blushing even harder under my russet fur.

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"Thanks," I murmured.

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"You're welcome . . ." He looked away from me, still blushing red,

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ears pulled back.

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His tail flicked about,

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brushing against mine.

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I pulled my tail onto my lap and started kneading it nervously.

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He excused himself to go to the bathroom and started walking away.

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I half rose from my seat,

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paw extended out.

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"I'm sorry," I said,

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worried I had made Jason uncomfortable.

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He looked down at me and smiled.

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"It's ok," he said.

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"It's not your fault. I just had too much soda that I had to go to the bathroom.

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Honestly, you're fine.

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Go sit and watch the movie and I'll be right back. I promise.

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promise." He smiled again. "Um . . .

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ok . . ." I mumbled and sat back down,

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facing the screen.

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But I couldn't sit still.

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I kept squirming around in my chair, worrying I might have upset Jason.

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Shit! Why do I have to be so fucking gay?!

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That's probably why he ran away, 'cause

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I'm just too queer.

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I guess I deserve it though—even my own family didn't want me anymore because I was gay.

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Deep down, I know I was being irrational, that I was just overthinking things again.

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But I couldn’t help it,

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I’ve always had these little insecurities about our friendship because of me being gay.

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Sighing, I tried to pay attention to the movie, believing that Jason would be back as he promised,

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but I couldn't. I just

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couldn't. My mind was racked with too much worry that I couldn't pay attention.

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Why do the people I love keep leaving me?

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My own family practically shunned me

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—that they didn’t want a cocksucker as a son.

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Even after all this time, that memory still fresh in my mind.

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And against my own will, I started to cry silently.

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Maybe Jason would be better off without me . . .

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This made me cry even more.

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"Sam?!" Jason whispered;

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his voice ebbed with concern. I looked up in surprise.

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"Jason?" I croaked. Jason rushed over silently.

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"Are you ok?!" I nodded and wiped the tears away.

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"I'm good. This scene is just so sad . . .

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." I lied. Looking up, I saw the main character crying over his lost love.

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Shit . . . that was just lucky.

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"Okay . . ." Jason trailed off and sat back down,

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his ropy tail thrashing about.

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We sat there in silence for the rest of the movie,

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occasionally taking sips of our drink until it was gone.

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By the time the movie ended,

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the air between us was thick with awkwardness.

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On our way out, the feline rested his paw on my shoulder and asked,

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"Are you sure you're ok?"

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I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.

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"Yes, I'm fine." I replied.

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He nodded and dropped his paw.

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I groaned and hung my head,

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lost in thought. What was I going to do?

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Jason has been nothing but good to me,

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and I feel like dirt for caring about him more than I should.

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I mentally kicked myself. Stupid, stupid fox . . .

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The icy chill outside brought me back to the real world.

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I might have gotten run over for not paying attention.

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I hopped into the car

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and kept silent on the way to Jason's house.

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Occasionally I glanced over to see how Jason was doing,

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but I couldn't read his stoic expression.

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But his eyes said everything.

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They were gentle and caring,

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and sincere as he was lost in thought.

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I stretched out and looked over to Jason, cocking my head.

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"What are you thinking about?"

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I asked. He jumped a little when I spoke,

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seemingly bringing him out of his thoughts.

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"Oh, I was just thinking about that night your parents kicked you out," he said.

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"Your parents are dicks."

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"Yeah . . ." I trailed off, feeling

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very uncomfortable.

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I wonder what brought this one?

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Mind you, I was thinking back to that night as well,

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but why was Jason thinking about it as well?

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What brought it on?

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"So . . ." Jason said, changing the subject.

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"What'd you think of the movie?

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Did you like it?" "Yeah, I loved it.

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it." I grinned. "But I'm pissed about how the movie ended.

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They better make another one with a better ending or so help me God; they will be getting a very angry letter from me.

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me." I grumbled to myself,

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crossing my arms in mock annoyance.

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"Ha!" Jason chuckled.

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"I'm sure they will just to please you.

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Silly fox . . ." He reached over and hugged me,

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then ruffled my headfur.

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"Hey!" I yelled, swatting his paw away.

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"Don't do that! I'm not a cub!"

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I glowered and patted my fur back down.

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"Said the fox that's going to write a very angry letter for hating the way people ended a movie,"

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he teased. He reached over and poked my tummy

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and busting out laughing when he made me squeak.

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I glared, growling.

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"I. Hate. You," I said.

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"Please . . . you love me.

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me." He poked again and winked.

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My fur bristled when he said that.

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"I was joking . . ." he apologized when he saw my face.

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"Stupid cat." I stuck my tongue out.

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He looked down hard at me with one eye.

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"Careful . . . it's a long walk back home."

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I gasped." You wouldn't dare."

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Jason shrugged. "I don't know.

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This fox I know is being awfully mean to me. I just might."

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I held my paws together and gave him my best puppy dog eyes.

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"Please don't,

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sir," I whimpered. "Oh, alright!" he laughed.

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"Good! Or else you would have gotten the water works.

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works." I wiped away a single tear and held it up to him.

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"Oh god . . ." He groaned and reached over, and gave me another hug.

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The car ride back to Jason's place was pleasantly quiet

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except for the radio and soft chugging of the engine.

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We were both happy

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and didn't really want to break the silence.

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I rested my muzzle on my paws

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and listened to the pulsing bass that filled the car,

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my tail lazily wagging behind me.

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"You know," Jason said, breaking the silence.

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"You really are something."

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This made me smile.

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"Thank you. So are you."

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"You're very welcome."

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In a short time, we reached the panther's house,

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pulling into the garage.

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I hopped out of the car and headed inside,

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holding the door open for the muscular cat.

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I hung up my coat and followed Jason into the family room

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where his mom and dad resided on one of the couches that occupied the space.

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Mrs. Dove looked up and smiled.

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"Hello boys," she said.

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"How was the movie?

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Did you guys eat yet?"

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"The movie was great, Mom.

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No, we haven't eaten yet."

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Mrs. Dove nodded. "Ok, dear.

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Well, there's pizza in the fridge if you guys are hungry."

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"Thanks Mom!" Jason hurried to the kitchen to get the pizza.

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I smiled and said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Dove, then chased after Jason.

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With plates full of pizza in our paws and a soda can,

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we ran upstairs to Jason's room,

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placing the food and drinks on the bed.

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I grabbed my drink and took a sip,

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sitting at the foot of Jason's bed.

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Jason shuffled around his room picking things up and putting them away.

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"Hey, sorry for the mess," he apologized.

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"It's ok," I smiled,

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then reached under me and held up what I hoped were a clean pair of boxers.

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"Missing this?" I showed him the garment hooked on my finger.

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I giggled when Jason blushed crimson under his fur

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and snatched the underwear from my paw. "Th-th

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-thank . . ." Jason stuttered,

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blushing harder as he tossed the garment into his closet.

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"And don't touch my underwear."

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I frowned. "Don't leave it lying around,"

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I shot back. Jason rolled his eyes.

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"Fine." I pointed a finger at him.

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"Hey! You don't see my leaving my underwear around when you're at my apartment,"

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I stated. His ears went down and he sighed.

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"True." I looked at him and smiled.

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"I still love you though."

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Jason grinned back; ears perked.

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"Toss me that can would you please,"

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he asked. He caught it in midair and took a sip.

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His lacrosse practice must really be paying off from his catch.

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It'd better; I've been practicing with him so much that he'd be able to get a ball without ease.

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I pulled up to the center of the bed,

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resting against the bed’s headrest and took another sip of my drink,

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losing myself in my thoughts,

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but soon pulled myself from my thoughts

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before Jason noticed.

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After we finished off our slices of pizza

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and first cans of soda,

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Jason popped in a movie and we laid down on the bed,

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muzzles resting on our paws.

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It was nice laying here with the white panther,

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laughing at the funny parts,

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tails wagging and brushing against each other.

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It made me happy,

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that these are the moments I looked forward to.

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It makes my life almost seem normal.

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I didn't have to deal with my hateful parents, because I knew there was someone here that

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actually cared about me

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—excluding his caring parents.

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At some point I think I might have dosed off a little

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because Jason's mother came in and wished us a good night and told us not to stay up too late.

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"Ok Mom, love you,"

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Jason said. "Goodnight Sam,"

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Mrs. Dove said. I smiled.

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"Night!" Jason and I killed off our last soda can and finished the movie before heading to bed.

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I excused myself to use the restroom

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and when I returned Jason had pulled out his sleeping bag, already in his boxers.

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This made my blush deep red under my already red fur.

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I tried not to look down at the slight bulge of his sheath against the fabric.

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This made me blush even harder,

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so I rushed into the sleeping bag.

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I stripped down to my boxers as well,

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but left my shirt on.

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I snuggled into the warm bag

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and rested my head on the pillow Jason had given me.

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Jason clicked his nightstand light off

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and wished me a goodnight.

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I wished him a goodnight as well

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and soon I could hear his soft snoring.

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But I couldn't seem to fall asleep that fast;

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I just laid there,

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staring at the dark ceiling.

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Sighing to myself, I turned around and tried to fall asleep,

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and at some point I did because the lasting thing I remember is listening to Jason's cute snoring . . . .

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"Sam!" Jason's voice whispered.

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"Sam, wake up! Please!"

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I felt a pair of strong paws shaking me roughly awake.

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What . . . ? What was going on?

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"Wake up!" Jason almost shouted.

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I felt an even rougher shake and that jolted me from my sleep.

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Rubbing sleep from my eyes I stared up at Jason, confused.

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"What are you doing?

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I was asleep," I asked.

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Jason fell back and stared at me with wide eyes,

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his face contorted,

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exasperated. "Are you kidding me . . . ?

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You were sobbing in your sleep for Christ sake!"

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He rubbed his eyes and sighed, his ears

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down. He looked a little pissed, but about what I don't know.

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Raising a paw to my eyes, I felt my fur was damp.

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"Oh . . ." I mumbled. "Don't scare me like that!

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I was so worried I nearly had a heart attack.

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attack." His voice shuttered and was raspy.

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"What the hell were you dreaming about?"

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I vaguely remembered what I had dreamed about.

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"Well . . ." I started to say, pausing for a second or two.

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"It involved . . . you." Jason's eyes widened a little more and

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then softened, ears perked.

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Well . . . it's now or never.

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"It was just flashes of you and me

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—happy memories. But soon everything faded to darkness and I felt so alone;

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that you left me after you found out the truth . . ."

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I got up and started moving toward the door,

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fresh tears started to fall,

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my emotions felt like they were going out of control.

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"I'm sorry," I croaked,

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throat swelling with a big knot lodged deep inside.

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"I just . . . I just can't do this."

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Jason got up and his fingers lightly gripped my wrist.

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"Sam . . ." Shit! I turned around and stared into his beautiful eyes.

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"I love you, ok?! I always have,"

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I shouted. Everything had started to crash down on me like the raging sea.

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My body shook with waves of emotions: relief,

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worry, anger, hatred toward myself and the whole situation.

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"The fucking faggot loves you!"

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I yanked my wrist away and turned.

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I just couldn't face him.

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I expected the blows to start—for him to start beating the shit out of me and call me a fag.

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His paw touched my shoulder,

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and I flinched. He was actually doing to beat me up.

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But his paws slid down

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and wrapped around my chest,

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pulling me against his bare body.

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He rested his muzzle on my shoulder;

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I could feel his breath on my heated skin.

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"Shhh . . . it's ok," he whispered to me.

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He turned me around and held me against him.

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I couldn't hold back anymore, and soon my eyes started to flood with tears

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as I pressed my face against his chest,

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sobbing harder. He brought his fingers under my chin and lifted my muzzle.

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"Hey, look at me," he whispered softly.

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I opened my eyes and saw him looking into mine gently;

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his gaze was filled with warmth

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—or maybe sympathy.

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"Sam," he said. "I love you."

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Three little words

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—words I'd been hoping to hear my whole life

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—made my heart break.

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"I love you with all my heart

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—I have for years now.

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Protecting you was the only thing that mattered to me.

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I don't know what I would have done if I lost you.

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I don't think I could have borne the world at all if you weren't here with me.

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You're the only one I care about and always will."

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I just stood there, speechless. "I

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-I-I don't know what to say . . ."

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He grinned gently.

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"How about I love you?"

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"I love you," I said instantly.

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Jason brought his muzzle down,

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and I could feel his breath on my nose and the fur around my muzzle.

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His lips softly mashed against mine.

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His kiss was sweet and passionate.

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My head reeled at the awesome sensation of his kiss.

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I brought my arms around his neck and pulled him more into the kiss as both his paws rested on my muzzle.

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I can't believe I'm actually doing it . . .

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kissing the cat I've dreamed about for forever.

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His tail came around

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and intertwined around mine, and soon his tongue slipped into my maw,

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resting against my own tongue.

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I broke away from the kiss as it took my breath away

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and nuzzled the hollow of his neck.

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The kiss, everything, about him

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reminded me of winter.

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How winter can have a harsh exterior

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but under that can be something

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so beautiful . . . the harsh winds like his ripped muscles can be gentle,

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raising the snow in a white flurry.

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Those strong arms were wrapped around my fragile body.

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Jason is as wonderful and beautiful as the winter snow itself.

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He is my white panther now and always will be,

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my very own winter in my arms.

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The wind rocked the window,

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covering the ground with snow,

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and a single snowflake landed on the window,

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making me smile as winter will always be here for me . . . .

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This was “Winter Snow”

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by Tanner Silverpaw,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog.