Content Warning: This story contains depictions of fictional cub characters in erotic situations. The author does not condone or support any depictions or acts in real life involving minors. If you are sensitive to this kind of content, do not read this story.

School Days - Making Things 
Right Pt.3

By TheWolf'sDen

The interior of the front office wasn't an unfamiliar place for either of the two Anthros, but the section they found themselves in certainly wasn't ideal—East Pines Middle School students had dubbed it “The Lion's Pit” after their principal.
The head of the school had a very mixed reputation: some claimed he was as feral as the nickname implied, while others said he was so cold that students would give up any chances of coming to a deal and simply accept their punishment. 

Others, however, believed that the name was a hyperbole of unchecked scale, and that the rumors about their principal were purely anecdotal. But then again, kids who said that were usually the ones praised by teachers, those with good grades, or the ones loved by their peers. Rajah and Aidan were, luckily, examples for all three—but given the circumstances, who knew which version of reality awaited them?

There was a lingering smell of cleaning products and fresh printer ink in the corridor, which Aidan found oddly calming. Rajah, however, couldn't smell it. 
They sat on opposite rows of stiff blue plastic chairs, separated by the brown door to Principal Fillmore’s office, which stood closed between them.

Aidan held his backpack on his lap, his white face still damp from repeatedly washing it—a result of trying to clean off Rajah’s blood and calm himself down before being brought there. Still, he shivered, glancing nervously at the corridor walls lined with student artwork and photos. There were snapshots of achieving students from past years, awards the school was proud of but didn’t have room to display in the hallways, and flyers pinned to tack boards—some current, some clearly outdated. He sighed shakily: his body still hurt from the fight.

On the other side, Rajah was slumped in his seat, the back of his head resting against the wall, mouth slightly open as he breathed through the two wads of paper stuffed into his nostrils. Wiped dried blood clung to his muzzle, and his cheek still ached from where Aidan had clawed him. He held his glasses on his lap, eyes closed, his brown, wavy hair falling across his face. The Tiger seemed to be using the moment to shut off his brain.

They had been there for a little over an hour, waiting to be called inside while other students ahead of them were taken care of. Needless to say, all of them looked at the pair strangely, curious about what had happened but not daring to ask questions. Rajah was the one who offered a smile and waved off their worries with his usual charm, while Aidan simply sniffled and whimpered as quietly as he could. As the school day ended and the last student left the office, the pair continued to wait in grueling anticipation.

The Arctic Fox jumped in his seat every time the door opened to either call another student in or let one out. But with only the two of them left, he began to panic when the huge Lion stepped through the threshold to look at him.

Principal Fillmore looked down with a dull expression, which made Aidan's stomach churn—the stoic feline was always good at hiding his emotions, a very useful skill for an educator. “Aidan,” he acknowledged with a voice devoid of warmth. The vulpine gulped and got to his feet.

The Lion looked the other way and whistled loudly, making Rajah flinch and lazily open his eyes. The Tiger craned his neck to see Principal Fillmore snap his fingers, then point inside the office. 
He groaned, picked his backpack up off the floor, and locked eyes with Aidan as the Lion stepped back in. The kit yipped and quickened his pace inside, seeking protection under the Lion's watchful gaze, while Rajah scowled at him and followed behind.

Inside the office, the large feline took his seat behind his desk and watched as Aidan hurried to the chair on his left, sliding it a little farther from Rajah. The Tiger closed the door and plopped down in the remaining seat, still looking a little dazed. 
There was a moment of silence as the principal clicked away with his mouse, his blue eyes focused on something on his computer screen. 

Aidan swallowed dryly and glanced at Rajah, who carefully pulled the blood-soaked wad from his right nostril and dropped it into the trash bin beneath the wooden desk, sniffing and wrinkling his nose in discomfort.

Both boys' attention was drawn forward when Principal Fillmore let out a long, expressionless sigh, his eyes trailing first to the bloody Tiger, and then to the shaky Fox. He pondered for a moment and shook his head in disappointment.

	“I never imagined I'd have either of you two in here,” he started in a gruff voice, though he didn't sound angry—surprised maybe. “Mr. Novikson, you getting in a fight is about as likely as snow in Zonac in the middle of July.” Aidan hugged himself tighter, his fluffy tail curling onto his lap. His ears dropped, and so did his eyes, both heavy with shame. “And you, Mr. Sharma,” he stared at Rajah, who offered a bloody grin. “Just why? You do realize this could mess up your chances of staying on the team, right?” he asked rhetorically. Of course the Tiger knew; it showed as his smile slowly dissipated into a nervous grimace, and then into nothing.

There was a long silence after his words. The office felt bleak despite the decorations, pictures, and loaded bookshelves. Principal Fillmore's eyes studied them—one shaken, one stained—both suddenly very small in his presence.

	“Very well,” he said with a small groan, “who wants to start?” His question was immediately answered by a soft whimper from Aidan.
	“Rajah! He’s been mean to me for like Idon’tevenknowhowlong, and yesterday h-he—he made me do his homework—or else he said he’d keep calling me t-that stupid nickname I hate! W-w-we had already agreed h-he'd stop but—and—a-and I-I didn’t know what to do—s-so I just said okay—eventhoughIreallydidn’twanna! And then in the last period h-he gave me the papers, like it was no big deal! And t-then during volleyball he c-called me that name again—a-and everyone laughed—and—and Ididn’tevendoanythingwrong! I-I mean I did mess up the game—but that was for my team! And then—I-I got nervous and—” Aidan rambled on, his voice was still rough.

Principal Fillmore raised both eyebrows and glanced over at Rajah. The young feline had just removed the other wad from his nose and made a face that said, **"See what I'm dealing with?" as he gestured between himself and the Fox.

	“A-and then he cornered me in the r-restroom and—he just started making fun of me even though he was supposed to apologize! A-and I—I tried to fight back, I-I really did, butthenhesaidallthismeanstuff and started a-acting weird and I—I didn’t know what to do and then he said my butt was cute and—” Aidan yipped as he realized his slip.
Rajah's eyes widened as he glanced at Aidan, then back at Mr. Fillmore, who was still puzzled by the long, breathless word salad. The Lion blinked slowly and brought a finger to one of his brown-furred ears, as if double checking what he’d just heard.
“A-anyway,” Aidan stuttered as he tried to move the conversation along. “He was being a jerk today again, and then… we started fighting…” His words trailed off, his face burning bright pink.
He glanced around, offering the Tiger a sheepish smile—though it seemed he was pleading for mercy. Rajah’s infuriated expression was all the Arctic Fox needed to immediately drop his gaze again. The Tiger shook his head and stared at Principal Fillmore.

“That was enlightening,” the Lion said dryly—mocking, but not unkind. He watched as Rajah slid his glasses back on, the same hot blush crept up his face. “And what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Sharma?”
Rajah exhaled briskly and cleared his throat, trying to stave off his chagrin. “Well… most of what Shorty said was, like, true. Just… I wasn’t, like, the one who exactly started anything today.”
Aidan huffed lightly. “Oh, so it was me?” he muttered under his breath, though both felines heard it.
“I never said that, Shorty. You have those big ears and you can, like, barely hear what I say?” Rajah sneered at him.
Aidan frowned and looked at the Tiger—his expression seemed hurt. “Dude, I’m a quarter Fennec, okay?” he explained softly with a small whine.
“Well, guess the other three-quarters didn’t, like, get the size memo,” Rajah snickered, arching an eyebrow and looking at the Fox with a smirk.
Aidan tried to make a sound that resembled a growl but fumbled amidst his frustration. “You see what I mean?!” he snapped, looking at Principal Fillmore. “He’s always a jerk to me! And he manipulates others into doing what he wants!”
Rajah scoffed and crossed his arms. “Oh, Shorty, don’t act like you're special or something.”
“Enough,” the Lion’s gruff voice carried the kind of authority that made both boys silent at once. He observed as Aidan recoiled into his seat and Rajah huffed like a child. “Novikson, check your temper. You’re in just as much trouble as Rajah,” he said sternly, prompting Aidan to sigh and stifle a whimper. “Sharma, quit messing with him and drop the nickname.”

There was a shift in the room’s gravity that Principal Fillmore hadn’t expected. He watched as the two boys looked at each other for the first time without a hint of hostility. If anything, there was a trace of common ground in their postures, awkward as they were: Rajah scratched the back of his head and glanced around, while Aidan clasped his hands on top of his tail, his feet dangling slightly off his seat.

“That uhm… t-that’s not the nickname.” Aidan blushed a little deeper than before, which brought concern to the principal’s mind.
“If anything, it’s a fact,” Rajah quipped with a chuckle, making the Arctic Fox roll his eyes and shake his head.
“Okay…” The principal hesitated. “Then what is the nick—you know what? I don't wanna know,” he held his hand up dismissively. “You said you didn’t start anything, Mr. Sharma. So who did?” 
“Sorry, Mr. Fillmore,” Rajah replied with a small shrug. “I might order people around, but I don't do names.” He offered a grin but was quickly shut down.
“Rajah, don’t test me,” the Lion growled. The sound rumbled inside both boys’ chests, startling them. “You two are walking a fine line. What you did is grounds for suspension. And don’t think it can’t be pushed to expulsion,” he said, pointing a finger at the Tiger, watching as all the color drained from his face. “And we’re looking at detention for you, Aidan.”
“What!?” Aidan’s voice cracked, making both felines flinch. “W-w-why? **He’s the one who attacked me!” His chest trembled with his rapid breathing, his eyes teetering on the edge of tears.
“School district changed the rules significantly since the Higgins case,” the principal explained. “There's little I can do when I got a student with a bloody nose and claw marks that **you made,” the Lion said matter-of-factly.

Aidan's breath left him as he shrank into his seat—he hadn’t even received more than a verbal warning in his life. Detention? That felt like a prison sentence.
**That’s what you get. He could hear Curtis’s unspoken words in his head and bit his bottom lip to stifle a whimper. After all, the Bear had never actually said that—that was simply what Aidan had been telling himself since leaving the locker room. The Fox felt a hollow pit open in his stomach, driven by shame and disappointment, his vision steadily blurring as he struggled to breathe.

Meanwhile, Rajah seemed to zone out—pondering, weighing his options. Telling the bare truth could be just as problematic as spinning something Aidan wouldn’t vouch for—whether out of anger or simply due the kit’s overly honest nature. His earrings clinked with a flick of his brown ear, and he glanced over at Aidan—the small vulpine was fighting to hold back sobs, jaw tensed tightly. His usual vulnerable side was showing, but Rajah could tell it was more out of being overwhelmed rather than exaggeration. **“It's not that big of a deal,” he thought, tapping a claw on his thigh and shaking his head slightly.

Despite expecting the kit to be tougher in that moment, the Tiger understood how much this weighed on him. Aidan, a grade A student, known for being bright and helpful—even if a little annoying and wouldn’t shut up ever—sitting in the principal’s office for getting into a fight after saying the star athlete was “sucking his dick.”
Rajah wanted to laugh at how stupid it all sounded, but Aidan's strained sobs grounded him. He thought of the Fox's pained yelps as he slammed his scrawny body against the floor of the locker room—his ragged breaths were a reminder of what could've happened if Rajah hadn't been stopped. The Tiger winced, chewing on his tongue and pursing his lips. He glanced forward, catching Principal Fillmore expectant gaze—the Lion’s eyes seemed to disarm him.

The stripped feline clicked his tongue in frustration. **“What am I supposed to do?” he thought, a whine escaping his lips as panic settled in. His eyes darted from the Lion to Aidan, then to his own feet. Guilt didn’t creep up his chest—no, it hit him like a kick, much harder than the one Aidan had landed on his nose. 
His fur stood on end as he trembled. Was he really about to risk being expelled over **Shorty, of all people? Maybe. Strangely enough, it somehow felt right to him.

Rajah swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he slowly got up, white palms slightly raised to the principal. “Okay… I’ll tell you what happened,” he said as firmly as he could through shaky breaths. Aidan snapped his head toward him, his blue eyes wide with desperation.
There was a moment of silence as Rajah nervously wrung his hands, prompting Principal Fillmore to cock an eyebrow. “So?” he asked.
Rajah drew a deep breath in. “I’ve been messing with Sho—uh, Aidan—for a while now, okay? The nickname was, like, a stupid thing I came up with at a game last year. And yeah, he told me he didn’t like it, but… I-I just thought it was funny and… hell, I… I liked the attention when other people laughed about it,” he admitted, his voice calm—ashamed.

There was some hesitation in each of Rajah’s words, which made him sound vulnerable—genuine, even—and his stiff, uneasy posture before the impatient Lion showed just how little he was in comparison. He wasn't as untouchable as he thought.

Aidan's ears twitched at the confession, his blue eyes slowly shifting from fear to somewhat empathetic. Nothing the Tiger said changed what he'd done—heck, it was barely an excuse of an apology—but hearing the feline admit it out loud gave Aidan a flicker of hope back.

Rajah chose his next words carefully. “Anyway, yesterday I said I, like… wouldn’t do it again if he did my homework. Then after his, uh, not great volleyball performance—no offense—I, like, called him that name again. We kinda made up in the restroom, and… I promised I wouldn’t do it again.” He paused, his breath hitching. He tilted his head to Aidan, aware of how that made him sound. Still, he pressed on. “And then today, someone—I’m not saying names—dragged him over to me and I was, like, a jerk to him and stuff. He got mad—obviously. Then **I got mad, and I called him the name again… And said he was staring at my ass yesterday.” There was an audible whimper of guilt in Rajah’s voice, one that himself wasn’t expecting. His composure nearly cracked as he continued. “I… I don't know why I did that. Then he—pardon my Tasquiére—tried to tell everyone I ‘sucked his dick.’ Childish, I know. But, it was probably just heat of the moment crap. Next thing I know, I jump on him, and we start fighting. There. Hope that’s fashionably organized enough for you,” Rajah finished with a long, expectant sigh.
Both boys watched as the Lion nodded and hummed. He breathed deeply, looking from one to the other. “And what do you think you deserve for harassing a student, and then starting a fight with him?”

Rajah gulped. He could tell there was a catch in that question. His eyes darted to Aidan—the Arctic Fox tried to look away but couldn’t—locking eyes with the striped boy. His gaze was soft, his flat ears showing concern—he looked like he was about to burst into tears. It was a shame he didn’t see the silent plea in Rajah’s green eyes.

The Tiger shifted his vision to look outside: the campus was nearly empty—most students had probably already made their way home. And yet, in the bleak pause after his confession, something sparked in his mind.
His frown slowly faded from his face, his mind racing a thousand miles an hour—plotting, his heart pounding, calculating the risk. It wasn't a plan—more like a hunch. One he hoped would land exactly the way he needed it to.

“I think…” He paused, then cleared his throat, his smirk returning with renewed confidence. “I think it's only fair that I get suspended.” He gave a small shrug. “Like, just… you know, don’t drag him into it. It’s not worth the trouble.” His tone was almost mocking. He watched the principal furrow his brows. Rajah inhaled nervously and gestured toward Aidan’s shrunken form. “I mean, sir, with all due respect—look at him. The kid’s crying over maybe getting detention—for the first time ever! You don’t think he’s, like, cut out for that or anything… right?

Aidan's face twisted with hurt and mild disbelief. His claws pricked his knees as he balled his fists, his emotions nearly getting the best of  him—until he saw Rajah's tail flick. He looked up at the Tiger's smirk and finally realized: Rajah was bluffing. Or so he thought.
Aidan's eyes followed as the principal's slow turn toward him, and he began sobbing again. It was genuine—he **was distressed—but it also served Rajah's purpose of putting the Fox in a better light.

The young feline nearly let out a sigh of relief as he watched the kit's performance—though he couldn't help but chuckle softly. “See? Now, me—I know it's gonna be a pain, and I'll get an earful from Coach Chambers, but it’s not, like, the end of the world if I get suspended. Also, you said regulations are tighter, but like, I'm no Mackenzie. And **this—” He pointed at his face. “This is nothing. Sir, I've had kids swing bats at me after we won an away game! All of this is, like, just run-of-the-mill boys bonding, you know? Aidan stood his ground after I made fun of him, and I got served, no harm done. We both have clean files and, like, I know you don't wanna have to deal with putting a nearly perfect student's reputation in the ditch, right?” Rajah pressed on, hoping his words were good enough to get on the Lion’s soft side.

Aidan let out a shaky breath as his waterworks steadily ceased, seeing Principal Fillmore nod slowly. The Lion shifted in his chair and turned his body to Aidan, focusing on the Fox instead of the stripped Anthro.

	“Mr. Novikson,” he started, tapping a claw to his desk loudly, making the Fox jump a little. “If this is all true, then why didn't you say something sooner?”

Aidan wiped his eyes and looked up at Rajah, only to have his attention snapped back as the Lion clicked his fingers. He pondered for a moment—why didn’t he just report Rajah sooner? He had wondered that since last year; he didn’t understand why—in his mind, he wanted to do it—but his heart made the idea feel unbearably wrong. The Tiger had broken his trust, thrown his kindness away, and hurt him badly. And yet, in the end, Rajah was willing to take the fall. Aidan’s black ears perked up as he considered his next words. He sighed, locking eyes with the principal. The Lion had answered his question—without even realizing it.

“I… I was scared that he might get kicked off the team, and… well, he’s the best,” Aidan muttered, his voice small and calm. “I know how much he loves baseball. It just… i-it felt wrong.” He shrugged his thin shoulders, brushing his hands through his tail, trying to comfort himself. He turned to Rajah, disregarding whether the principal would be mad at him. “I…I-I’m sorry I said that, Rajah. I let you get under my skin… w-well, again.” He chuckled softly, offering a shy, crooked smile to the Tiger. He turned his attention back to the Lion, a little embarrassed by his display.

Rajah’s grin faltered, replaced by surprise as he stared at the Fox. His tail spasmed as he sank back into his seat, clearing his throat and nodding in acceptance of the apology. A mix of relief and guilt clouded his mind, and his breathing grew heavy. And he hated it.
He thought of how much easier it would’ve been if he had just lied, apologized, and taken the  suspension. But now, he had to live with the fact Aidan was the bigger man in that room, all while the brunt of the punishment would still fall on him. The Tiger shifted his gaze from the floor to Principal Fillmore, who held a pensive gaze.

Mr. Fillmore nodded and looked back at Rajah, tapping his claws on the wooden desk. “Well, that was kind of impressive,” the Lion admitted, “But you boys understand I can’t let you two out of here and pretend nothing happened, right? 

Aidan whimpered and nodded slowly, while Rajah simply pursed his lips and stared at the floor like a guilty child—which, in this case, he was. He could feel his chest tremble nervously at the looming threat of expulsion, his fur standing on end as his eyes began to water. He tried to swallow the whimper rising in his throat, but it slipped out—sounding ragged and choked.

Aidan glanced at the distressed Anthro—he had never seen Rajah look even remotely as down as he did in that moment. He saw the Tiger's striped tail laying limp, the black tip brushing against the floor, and huffed quietly. **“It’s his fault. He hurt you. It’s his fault. He hurt you…” The words repeated in his head with each breath, but they were losing conviction. His ears drooped.

He hugged his tail tighter to his chest, claws curling into the fur without realizing it. It wasn’t guilt—it was the quiet, awful empathy churning in his stomach. Rajah had humiliated him, but seeing the Tiger unravel like this… it didn’t feel good. His eyes stung again, overwhelmed by his emotions.

He studied Rajah; the feline’s usual cockiness completely replaced by a dreadful, yet grounded panic. He breathed heavily, eyes half lidded, round ears twitching nervously—unequivocally crushed. Bare. 
Aidan didn't owe him anything, but a spark of that same foolish kindness kindled something in his heart. He could barely believe what he was about to do.

The Arctic Fox licked his dry lips and sat back in his seat, kneading his hands atop his tail as he drew in a shaky breath. “M-Mr. Fillmore,” he croaked, his voice still hoarse from crying. He cleared his throat and tried to steady himself. “Can I ask you something?”

The Lion looked at him and gave a small nod, his eyes studying the trembling vulpine.

“Would you… would you reconsider the expulsion if I were also suspended?” Aidan asked innocently.

Rajah nearly jumped from his chair, snapping his head toward Aidan. His eyes were wide, brows furrowed into a scowl, and his ears flattened against his skull. He gripped the edges of his seat so tightly that his claws scraped the metal frame.
Aidan felt the glare burrowing a hole in his head before he even saw it. He hesitantly looked to the side: Rajah shot him a look that said—no, **yelled “What the fuck are you doing?”

All the feline got in response was a wave of the vulpine’s small trembling hand, asking him to wait—which almost made him grind his teeth. He could tell just how anxious Aidan was.

The Fox turned back and swallowed dryly. “I just—I-I know what Rajah said sounds bad, but it’s my fault too. Please, sir, I-I just don’t think it’s—” He stumbled through his words before being cut off.
“Dude, shut up!” Rajah yelled, making Aidan yip and jump in place. “Are you stupid? You wanna get fu—” He glanced at Mr. Fillmore, who glared back at him. “Uhhh…I-I mean, you’re not going to detention. Why the hell—I mean, **heck do you want to be suspended?” Rajah’s face flushed red, his dread replaced by anger, his veins almost popping out. 
“I—I just want you to be okay! Can you not be a jerk right now and let me help?” Aidan turned to the striped Anthro and tried to bare his teeth—the result was mildly successful this time around.
“And let **you be, like, the hero here? Oh, hell nah,” Rajah snarled back. “I swear if you don’t shut up I will—”
“Will what?” Aidan’s voice cracked as he talked back. “Y-you’re gonna be **too expelled to do a-anything anyway, y-you… you dumbass!” He could barely say the last word.
“Oh, you did NOT just say that,” Rajah half-growled, half-hissed—his anger directed more towards the inadvertent taunt rather than at the insult.

Both Anthros had been unconsciously leaning closer to each other, sitting at the edges of their seats as they argued. Aidan’s tail was puffed out, his ears pinned flat as he struggled to cut through Rajah’s self-censored words. Meanwhile, the feline clawed at the leather seat beneath him, his tail spasming just as wildly as it had in the locker room.

Principal Fillmore sat back in his chair, chin resting on his hand, quietly watching the boys with an unreadable expression. His sharp blue eyes darted between them before he let out a soft chuckle—or scoff. The boys couldn’t tell. There was a clear tone of amusement underneath it.

Both Anthros froze mid-argument, their words caught in their throats. Aidan’s eyes went wide, his mouth hanging slightly open, while Rajah furrowed his brows in confusion. For a moment, neither of them knew what to make of the Lion's reaction.
Slowly, they both turned their heads toward the older feline. Rajah cleared his throat and Aidan licked lips, before they both sank back into their seats—the weight of the situation settling back down around them once more.

Principal Fillmore exhaled through his nose, his large form looming before the boys. The humor in his eyes faded, replaced with something heavier—measured, but not without warmth. He laced his fingers over his desk. 

“Well,” he started slowly, “I’ve seen worse fights over less.” Rajah’s ears perked slightly, though he kept his eyes low. Aidan fidgeted in his seat, his stomach churning, unsure if that was supposed to be a good sign. “I want to believe this fight was a stupid lack of judgment on both your parts,” the Lion continued. “But you both owned up. Eventually.” He shot a pointed look at Rajah, who winced. “I should write this up as a more serious offense. I still might. However, Mr. Sharma does have a point.”

Rajah looked up and glanced at Aidan, who looked back. Both of their chests rose and fell heavily, hearts beating in their ears as the Lion pressed on.

“This is your first offense—and you didn’t lie to me. That counts for something.” He sat upright and leaned forward. “I'm willing to soften the blow this time. I'm not here to punish you—just to make sure you learn from this.” The boys looked at him, hesitant hope in their eyes. “Rajah, you’re on after school detention. Two weeks starting tomorrow. Every single day. You’ll report to the front office and sit your tail down for an hour. You’ll use that time to reflect, or do homework, or just be quiet—I don’t care. But you will be there.” His deep voice rang inside their chests. The Tiger didn’t move. He just blinked and nodded slowly, his jaw tight. “And you,” he said, turning to Aidan, who sat up straight, “it won't be registered as detention, but you’ll be staying after school for the same two weeks. I’ll tell Mrs. Harden you've volunteered for math tutoring. Think of it as... academic reflection without benefits.”
Aidan winced, but he nodded. “Yes, sir,” he replied softly, a little embarrassed.
Mr. Fillmore nodded plainly. “You don’t have to like each other,” the gruffness in his voice doubled as he spoke, “but if I hear even a word of either of you harassing the other again, we’re done being gentle. Am I being crystal clear?”
“Yes, sir,” both said in unison, almost reflexively.
“Good. Now get out of my office before I change my mind.” He didn't have to say it twice before both boys scurried out of the room, with Rajah shutting the door behind them.

* * *

The silence inside the school hallways was painfully loud—and each of their hurried footsteps sounded like a personal offense to the stillness. Neither of them said anything as they made their way to the bus loop—the parking lot was nearly empty, save for a few cars belonging to faculty members. They stood outside in awkward silence for a moment, catching their breath from the jog and the emotional whiplash of the last half-hour.

	Rajah was the one to break the silence as they waited under the shade of the overhang. “So, math tutoring, huh?” He cleared his throat, trying to sound casual.
	Aidan nodded, picking at the tear on the collar of his shirt, wondering if there was any way to fix it. “Yeah, I-I guess. Better than detention or…” He risked a glance up at Rajah, who gave him a sidelong look. Aidan winced. “Listen, I-I just tried to help—”
	“Ah, yes,” Rajah cut him off dryly, fishing in his backpack for a piece of mint gum, “Very heroic. After I step on the landmine it gets **significantly easier to make a sacrifice.” All he received in response was a soft whimper from the small Fox. Rajah looked around and shook his head impatiently. “Coach is gonna murder me,” he muttered, and popped the blueish piece in his mouth, crumbling the wrapper between his fingers.
	Aidan tilted his head, studying the eighth-grader's face. “I thought you had that covered?” he asked hesitantly.
	“I do… but, like, I'll be on thin ice after today.” He rolled his shoulders, stretching his arms over his head as he spoke. “Walking home it is, I guess,” he mumbled, and started toward the school’s outer gate that led to the main street.
Aidan scrambled a little, trying to keep up with the Tiger’s pace, his tail swishing behind him as he tried to talk with the older Anthro. “So… no chauffeur coming to pick you up in a sports car or anything?” he joked with a small, awkward laugh.
“Only on fridays. And seeing it’s a thursday…” Rajah replied without missing a beat, but chuckled regardless.
Aidan snorted. “Man… I’m actually surprised we pulled that off.”
“Yeah,” Rajah started reluctantly, pushing his glasses up with a finger. “It was a **very calculated risk.”

They strolled side by side under the afternoon sun, the sound of passing cars and a few pedestrians filling the brief void in their conversation. From a distance, one might’ve thought they were just two friends walking home after school.

“Well, yeah. Especially when you were bluffing,” Aidan said as they waited at the crosswalk.
Rajah furrowed his brows. “I… I wasn’t bluffing,” he replied, looking down at the now puzzled Fox.
Aidan's jaw dropped, showing his little fangs through his surprise. “Wait—you were being serious?”
“Well, yeah? I was, like, fighting for my life in there,” Rajah explained with a small shrug—trying not to show how nervous he really was.
“So you mean it could’ve backfired?” Aidan's voice cracked an octave higher before he clutched at his sore throat.
“Oh, **absolutely,” Rajah replied, stepping into the street as the light changed. “All I did was take a gamble on what Fillmore wanted to hear.”

They both stopped on the other side of the street, standing in silence for a minute—the white Fox staring at Rajah like he’d just confessed to patching a racing car tire with a stick of gum and it still won first place.

Aidan shook his head, hesitating before speaking. “H-how come? T-t-that doesn’t make sense. I thought you were bluffing!”
Rajah sighed and rolled his eyes, retaking the lead as they began walking again. “Shorty, me accepting suspension was the minimum that could've happened—over being expelled, that is. So if I had accepted expulsion, he could've rolled with that. Hence the calculated risk,” he said, gesturing his hands. “Fillmore isn’t stupid. He probably, like, already knew most, if not all, of the story before we even told it. He was just seeing if we’d match it.”
Aidan nodded slowly. “Okay… So why did you look so nervous? All you had to do was tell the truth,” Aidan pointed out.
Rajah looked away uncomfortably. “I wasn’t, like, expecting expulsion to be on the table if things went sideways, okay?”
Aidan blinked. “Oh…”
Rajah exhaled briskly. “You know Kyle’s mom works at school, right? She’s a counselor.”
“O-okay?” Aidan said carefully.
“Well, they talk. So Kyle hears stuff—internal stuff.” Rajah explained. “Even if he’s not supposed to.”
“Ohhh! So he’s your intel guy!” Aidan's ears perked up as he spoke, his tail wagging behind him.
Rajah stared at him, mouth agape in confusion, watching the Arctic Fox’s eyes gleam with excitement. “My **what now?” he asked, bewildered.
“Yeah! Like, in war and conflicts! When a side needs to collect info about the enemy territory—you have the intel people. You know, people on the inside,” the Fox explained happily, his smile almost childish.
Rajah cringed and gave Aidan a grimace look. “Can you, like, not nerdify my explanation, please?” He sighed, then pressed on. “Yeah, sure, he's my ‘intel guy’. Whose intel was that starting a fight would be, at worst, one week of suspension—not possible expulsion!” Rajah growled in frustration, making Aidan flinch. “I’m having a terse conversation with him later,” he grumbled.
Aidan thought for a moment. “Principal Fillmore did say the rules changed because of what Mackenzie did,” he mumbled. “But… he wasn’t expelled…”
“Yeah he only got, like, held back or something. I got word it was like, self-defense—kinda like when you fought back. Only, well, his case was, like, a **lot more gnarly.” Rajah shuddered.

They turned onto a long, quiet street, and Aidan could see the park in the distance. The sidewalk was cracked and sun-baked, the sun casting two shadows behind the boys as they walked in silence. 

“So… y-you didn’t know I could’ve gotten into trouble too?” Aidan asked softly.
Rajah glanced down to meet the kit's expectant eyes. “Of course not. Why would I want that?” he replied candidly. “That also, like, caught me off guard. But, hey, it worked out!”

The feline let out a sharp, nervous cackle, which in turn drew a goofy, yipping laugh from Aidan. He blinked in surprise when the striped Anthro stared at him, still chuckling—his green eyes warm with something that looked a lot like pride.

“Which brings me to say: Shorty—I wasn't expecting you to act so damn well!” he said between chuckles. “Crying on command? Man, I didn’t know you could do that.”
	It was  Aidan's turn to look away. “I wasn't pretending,” he said shyly, a light blush coming on his white face.
	“Oh…” Rajah popped a whitish bubble between his lips. “Yeah… I knew that,” he added sheepishly.

There was a shift in the wind that brushed against Rajah’s face, and he mentally thanked it—the hot sun had been getting on his nerves for a while. He glanced at Aidan; despite the Fox’s swishing tail and small smile, he winced every so often, and his eyes were noticeably tired—still a little puffy from crying. The sight made Rajah's chest uncomfortable with guilt. They hadn’t made it out of the Pit unscathed, but it could’ve been a lot worse—especially if the Fox boy hadn’t shown mercy toward the end of their conversation.

	He clicked his tongue and breathed in. “You know I was just trying to, like, scare you, right?” he said softly—awkwardly.
Aidan’s ears twitched. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head. “What?” he mumbled.
“In the lockers. I didn’t wanna, like, hurt you,” Rajah explained as they neared the open park. “I just wanted to scare you so you'd shut up… Buuuut I think I might’ve gotten carried away… a bit.”
“A bit?” Aidan echoed, his tone almost mocking.
“Ehhhh… okay, a lot,” the Tiger admitted, brushing his hair back. “That kick set me off like a fucking firework, dude.” He gently rubbed the bridge of his sore nose, wincing in pain.
Aidan whimpered in response and slowed his pace. Rajah matched his step. “I-I’m so sorry,” he said softly.
“Don’t be. It was a good kick. Lucky, but good.” The feline traced a finger lightly across the cuts on his left cheek and let his arm fall to his side. “You should stick to being, like, the cutesy, annoying little shit, though. I don’t think fighting will get you anywhere,” he added with a smirk.
Aidan snickered and shook his head. “Thank you, Rajah. I'll take cute as a compliment.” He poked the Tiger playfully on the ribs.
Rajah jumped a little at the touch. “Hey, I'm just looking out for you—be grateful.” His smile faded a little as he went on. “Also, I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have, like, slammed you into the floor like that. That was my bad,” he muttered, his pride holding him back from a proper apology.

Aidan caught the shift in his tone. His whole body still ached—especially his shoulder and back. He crossed his arms and came to a halt—it took Rajah a second to notice and stop as well. Aidan’s chest had been burning with worry and embarrassment ever since Rajah told everyone what happened in the lockers, and he just couldn’t shake it. He looked up at the Tiger, who now wore a puzzled expression, and clenched his teeth, trying to stop his jaw from quivering.

“That’s not even the worst part,” Aidan started, his voice low and hoarse. “You told them about… well, you know.” He sighed, his ears drooping.

Rajah’s expression immediately shifted to one of shame, his ears flattening against his skull. In the heat of it all—trying to come off as superior—he’d broken their agreement. He breathed in and stepped closer, his eyes calm behind his square frames.

He stood in front of the small seventh-grader, rubbing the back of his striped neck. “Yeah, I messed up big time, didn’t I?”
Aidan exhaled through his black nose and nodded, lip quivering and eyes downcast. “Y-you couldn’t even keep our deal for one day… just one day, Rajah.” The kit didn't sound angry—if anything, he was disappointed.
Rajah breathed in through clenched teeth, making a hissing sound. “I can pull a few strings… I think. People will forget about that faster than you realize,” he offered.
“You’re missing the point, dude,” Aidan whimpered, hugging himself tighter. His voice trembled. “Y-you said it yourself in the Pit—I mean, you don't even know why you did it.” He shrugged and shook his head quickly. “I'm… I-I was thinking that maybe—maybe it's not even worth g-going to school anymore. I-I-I don't know what the other kids will say about me!” he cried out.

Rajah wasn’t about to admit his need for the spotlight—not right there. Not only because he knew Aidan wouldn’t understand, but because he couldn’t justify it in a way that didn’t make the situation feel worse. The Tiger looked around, as silence settled between them, his eyes landing on the large playground to their right, where all the equipment stood unused. The main street was empty, and the nearby houses offered no signs of life—the usual, sheer boredom of a thursday afternoon. He shifted his weight, ears flicking at the stillness; there were no kids, no traffic, only the occasional creak of the swings moving in the heat. All that made his thoughts louder. And he didn’t like that.

He had been so close to apologizing in the Lion's Pit, but right then everything felt too personal—because it was. Aidan stood in front of him again, hugging himself, those pleading eyes waiting for any kind of respite. 
Rajah's jaw tensed, and he forced his lips to move under the pressure and sadness of the vulpine before him.

	“Listen,” he cleared his throat, fighting through his guilt and chagrin. “I'm, like… sorry. Okay?” he mumbled reluctantly.

Aidan's ears twitched, his expression brightening ever so slightly. It took him a long moment to process what he’d just heard—did **Rajah just apologize? That wasn’t something he ever expected to hear from the Tiger. It was rare enough for him to admit he was wrong, let alone actually say sorry. And yet, he watched as the Tiger awkwardly searched for the words in his head, his orange face twisting in a grimace as he spoke.

Rajah could see the gears turning in the vulpine's head and groaned, reluctantly continuing. “I'll do, like… my best to contain all this. Can’t make promises—and I don’t think you’ll, like, trust me anyway. But… you almost took the fall with me… I, like, owe you this much, I guess.”

The Tiger cringed slightly, embarrassed by what he judged to be an overly open display. He waited for the Arctic Fox to process everything, watching him nod slowly, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly agape.
His first instinct was to take it back, but when the Fox’s small mouth twitched into a faint smile, he knew it was too late. Not that he regretted it. The weight of guilt in his chest began to lift, little by little, allowing him to finally breathe.

Aidan almost let out a chuckle as he watched Rajah nervously kick a rock into the nearby gutter. The feline’s posture radiated discomfort: hands shoved into the pockets of his red gym shorts, rocking on his heels like a guilty kid, lips pursed, eyes darting everywhere but at Aidan—as if meeting his gaze might unravel him on the spot.

The vulpine uncrossed his arms slowly and shook his head playfully. “Man, and you call **me awkward?” he taunted, his smile growing on his face. 
Rajah narrowed his emerald eyes, making Aidan gulp. “You tell this to anyone…” he started with a threatening tone but then sighed—there was no point in acting tough. “Whatever, dude. You, like, didn't get me expelled—I'll do you this one favor,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes bitterly.

**“And he's back,” Aidan thought and giggled, pulling on the straps of his backpack. He watched as Rajah turned to the side, and then followed his gaze—the feline was staring at the playground in the center of the empty park with a frown on his face.

	“So… are we good?” Aidan asked softly.
	Rajah sighed and shrugged. “Sure,” he sounded almost annoyed but also relieved, and blew another bubble.
	Aidan hummed and tilted his head to the side. “Oh, come on, man. Apologizing can’t be that hard for you,” he teased, poking a finger at Rajah’s side and making him flinch. But then, he noticed the Tiger's lips twitch—slowly twisting into a devilish smirk. That small shift alone sent a shiver up Aidan’s spine.

The Tiger had been quietly plotting how to lighten the mood, and as his eyes scanned the empty playground and the old jungle gym, he couldn’t help but notice how little of the interior was visible through the plastic walls. He craned his neck upward, then tilted his head to glance at Aidan. The Fox looked noticeably anxious, his ears flattened instinctively. 

	Aidan shook his head before Rajah even spoke. “D-dude, no.” His eyes darted from the striped feline to the playground and back.
	Rajah stifled a laugh, though his trembling chest and swaying tail spoke volumes. “What? I didn't say anything.” His grin was full of charm, his voice mellow—and it drew a small whine from the Fox. “I was just thinking there are other ways to apologize if this one isn't enough,” he added in a sing-song voice.
	Aidan half-yipped, half-snorted nervously. “I-I know what you're thinking. And, no, dude,” he looked at the jungle gym. “M-me and my friends go there sometimes—it would be so weird! Y-you're not—” he tried swallowing through his chagrin and breathed in deeply. “You—I… We'renotdoinganythingthere!” He could feel a stir in his shorts, and instinctively brought his hands to his groin. His face grew red with the second, memories of the previous day playing in his head like a movie—making him even harder.
	“Pffft, you guys still, like, play in kid's playgrounds?” Rajah mocked, shifting his footing and moving his tail towards Aidan. “And I wasn't even remotely, like, going to offer **that,” Rajah said and looked away, waving an orange hand dismissively.
	
Aidan startled a little when the Tiger's tail coiled around his right forearm, the striped fur brushing against his own and making his body shiver pleasantly. He glanced from it to Rajah, and then back, and gently held it, watching it curl around his left hand. He stroked it with thumb, hearing the feline let out a small purr.

“Y-yeah? Is that so?” he flinched as Rajah began moving, his tail slowly uncoiling and then brushing on the kit's white chin.
Rajah looked back smugly, his eyes warm and his grin wide. “Nope, not at all,” he said matter of factly, almost proud.
	“W-well, good. Because I'm not d-doing it,” Aidan huffed quietly and frowned, trying to hold his ground.
	“I was going to let you, like, touch my ass, though,” Rajah spoke just loud enough, pouting playfully. He shrugged, slowly walking away from the kit and toward the playground. He had placed his bait, now he just needed to wait.

Aidan yipped loudly, being completely caught off guard by the Tiger's words. His blue eyes widened as he looked at Rajah—his tail was standing upright, showing off his toned backside through the tight gym shorts. That almost drove Aidan crazy.
The sweat on his forehead worsened with each second as he finally looked around him—their vicinity was truly empty. However, the risk they took on the previous day was already too much for the fidgety Fox, and the idea of doing anything so in public, and in the light of day made his heart pound fast. But it also excited him.

Aidan whimpered as his dick stirred in his hands, tenting his beige shorts. “Traitor,” he muttered to his member with a failed growl, only to receive a small twitch in response.

He bit his lower lip down, his eyes following as Rajah climbed up the equipment. The striped boy waved at him casually, then suddenly disappeared behind the short plastic walls. Aidan looked to the sidewalk ahead that led to the comfort of his house—but only after walking at least another mile with a tent in his shorts.

He bounced in place in frustration, trying to shake off the tease the Tiger had planted in his mind. **“That jerk!” he thought annoyed as he stepped through the grassy field that preceded the mulch area, glancing around for any signs of life; all he found were wooden picnic tables, the public restroom at the far back of the park, and an old faucet with a hose attached to it close by the faded structure.

He stopped in front of the wooden ladder leading up to the jungle gym. Looking closer now, the design reminded him more of a treehouse entrance than anything else. He gripped the ladder and let out a groan, debating whether it was even worth humoring Rajah at this point—but he’d come this far.

He climbed up without difficulty—it wasn’t very tall—but the moment he peeked his head inside, his knees nearly buckled: Rajah was on the center of the rectangular structure on his hands and knees, with his baseball jersey unbuttoned; his legs were spread open a little, his ass raised up, and he looked back with a salacious grin. 
	
	“Hey, Shorty! You decided to show up.” He tried to sound casual—if it wasn't for Aidan's nervousness, the vulpine would be able to notice the twinge of relief in his voice. 

The Fox tightened his grip, not only out of excitement but also not to fall on his back due to the view. The back of the feline's strong legs completely filled his shorts, and his toned rear stretched the red fabric and made the elastic bands of his jockstrap stand out. There was a line of sweat running under his tails and in between his cheeks.

The pre-teen vulpine swallowed hard, his dick standing at full mast and pressing tightly against one of the wooden steps.

	“Like what you see?” Rajah teased, swaying his butt side to side, watching as Aidan's white face was completely overtaken by a red hue. “C'mon, man. My knees are, like, killing me here,” he joked, though there was a small hint of truth.

The interior of the jungle gym was like a sauna—minus the steam, and the heat was cranked way up from staying under the summer sun all day. Aidan breathed in and scrambled up the last few steps; the ceiling was high enough that he could stand up straight, his ears brushing against it—though he could tell it was way less comfortable for Rajah. In the small, semi-enclosed space, he noticed how isolated they—the walls served as near-perfect protection from the outside view. He swung his backpack off his shoulders and dropped it close to Rajah's, his eyes never feline in front of him. 

He stepped forward—his erection bouncing in between his legs—and the combination of his horniness and the heat made him light-headed. His heart pounded fast in his chest as he kneeled down only a few inches away from the Tiger. He panted lightly, and placed his hands on his knees, tugging at his shorts in a mix of anxiety and hesitation.

Rajah saw the Fox's flustered face and chuckled softly. “It's cool, dude.” He pulled his shorts up a bit, revealing more of his white-furred, muscular hamstrings, his hefty balls jiggling through the malleable fabric.
Aidan whined, feeling a drop of pre leak freely in his underwear as he grabbed his modest erection through his shorts, squeezing it gently. “A-are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. “W-we're in public. W-what if someone c-climbs up here?” he squeaked out.
	Rajah snickered at the kit's tone. “Well, yeah. There's that,” the Tiger nodded. “But, don't you think it's, like, kinda exciting?” he purred, a small blush creeping up his white cheeks.

Aidan bit down on his lip and nodded ashamedly—just the idea of his bully exposing himself like this with the possibility of getting caught was weirdly exhilarating to the young vulpine. He breathed in deeply, inadvertently taking in some of the sweaty teenage musk—a mix of his own hormones and Rajah's that had begun to permeate the air. 
All this combined made his dick twitch as it painfully pushed against its constraints, and he huffed in response.

The kit tried to fight against the horny haze, only to crumble completely when Rajah shifted his weight due to the uncomfortable wooden floor, bringing his ass closer to his modest erection. He lost it right there.

	“C-can…” He gulped, his words caught in his throat. “Can I-I t-touch it?” he stammered, barely able to speak through the nerves firing in his brain.
	Rajah snickered and shook his head—though not in denial of the white Anthro's request, more amused by it if anything. “Yeah, man, go ahead. That’s, like, what I told you I’d let you do, remember?” His blush deepened a little.

Aidan’s lip quivered with excitement. He reached up with a trembling left hand and gingerly brushed his small claws down along Rajah’s firm butt, eliciting a shiver and a soft giggle from the Tiger at the ticklish touch. He couldn't believe how soft and yet firm it felt as his palm traced the contour of Rajah's ass cheek, dragging his digits across the slight raise of the jockstrap bands, and then kneading the back of the Tiger's thigh, only to rub his hand up again. He watched as the feline's ass jiggled slightly at his touch.

A shudder ran up his spine when he began to stroke his small length in sync with his left hand, loving how the striped Anthro squirmed and purred from just squeezing his cheek. Aidan closed his legs together, moaning quietly as his sensitive testicles sent a jolt of pleasure through his stomach, and moved his hand to Rajah's orbs, cupping them. Even through the barriers of clothing, he could tell the difference in size between his own and the striped feline's more developed testicles.

Rajah let out a long purr. His tail instinctively curled around Aidan's forearm as the Fox fondled his balls, feeling his cock slipping free of his sheath, coaxed by the tentative brush of the small fingers. He stifled a moan as Aidan’s hand glided back to his ass, kneading his cheek rhythmically.
With closed eyes, Rajah let out small purrs and moans as the younger anthro played with his butt, relaxing and feeling his feline cock throb at the tease. He gasped loudly, feeling a thumb accidentally brush against his entrance, which drew a surprised yip from the Fox. He looked back with wide eyes—Aidan’s face looked more guilty than flustered.

“Sorry!” the kit exclaimed as he withdrew his hand, clutching it together with his other hand over his groin. “I-I-I forgot y-you don’t wear underwear!” his voice cracked an octave too high.
Rajah exhaled through his bruised nose. “I do wear underwear, Shorty. It’s just, like, for sports, but I guess you wouldn’t understand that anyway,” he mumbled the last part.

The striped feline moved up and sat on his heels, feeling his ass brush against Aidan’s skinny knees. In turn, the vulpine huffed lightly at the touch, biting his lip as the heat radiating off Rajah’s body clashed with his own. He observed as the sweat of Rajah's back made his white jersey see-through, showing off the black stripes that ran all the way down his orange back; his muscles were visible under the thick fur, making the seventh-grade Fox a little jealous—but it also turned him on even more.

Aidan’s little black nose twitched as the manly smells wafted off the feline’s fur—a mix of earthy musk, sweat, and cool summer cologne invaded his nostrils. He panted as he allowed himself to take in the scents, but immediately stopped as he saw Rajah glance, confused.

“S-sorry,” he said sheepishly, and looked down.
Rajah snickered. “It’s cool, nerd. I was just like, surprised you’d do that.” The Tiger began getting up, having to crane his neck down so he didn’t bump his head into the ceiling. “Are **you still cool?” he cooed, slightly worried.
“Y-yeah,” Aidan squeaked and got up as well, his eyes fixed on the boner between the Tiger legs.

Rajah followed the vulpine's gaze and smirked, grabbing hold of his turgid cock and stroking through his shorts, watching Aidan's lips tremble as he squeezed his own member with his hands.

	“Man, I got you all tented up and stuff, heh,” he teased, Aidan just closed his eyes shut and nodded quickly. “Alright then, guess it's time to like, turn it up a notch.”

Rajah slowly peeled his jersey off, the sweat making it cling to his athletic body as the white Fox watched attentively. His white colored chest and midsection glistened with the sunlight filtering in, his defined orange and black-striped arms flexing slightly with the movement. He looked down at Aidan with a grin, and tossed the shirt toward him. 

The Fox flinched as it draped over his face, making his vision blurry as he could only see Rajah's orange shape moving to one of the long walls of the structure. Aidan huffed in, taking in the dampy sweat as the soft material laid over his nose, kneading his erection and moaning breathlessly. He hesitantly reached with both his hands, his nethers feeling oddly cold even in the oppressive heat, and pulled the piece of clothing off his face. He looked to his left to see the Tiger leaning against the wall, his ass pointed at the vulpine as his striped tail swayed from side to side teasingly.

Aidan let out a long whine and took another deep breath from the bunched shirt on his hands before padding to the feline. He carefully folded it to avoid creasing too badly, and placed it on top of Rajah's backpack, training his vision on the round ass in front of him once again, his dick leaking more precum in his boxer briefs. He slowly raised his hands and placed them on Rajah's narrow waist, his fingers brushing on the Tiger's abs as his palms ran over the red waistband.

	“A-are you s-sure?” Aidan squeaked as Rajah backed against him. 
	“Yeah, man. I thought you'd want to do more than just, like, look at it, right?” He held Aidan's thin wrist carefully and pulled him closer, feeling the vulpine's small body connect to his rear, and also felt something press against his nuts. “Pretty sure I saw a super hard tent back there, heh.”

Aidan's heart was about to burst as his small length poked the back of Rajah's testicles, eliciting a moan from the both of them—their combined heat rivaled the room's as their sweat mixed. He looked down, noticing something that made him blush more out of embarrassment rather than excitement.

In the brief pause, Rajah first felt fidgeting behind him, not being able to see what was happening as he stared forward through the gap in the wall, watching for possible movement. Then he could hear Aidan changing his footing and his hand placement multiple times, and shivered as the Fox’s small length rubbed in between his thighs and his backsack—that was when the feline heard an exasperated whine, which made him slightly worried.

“R-Rajah?” Aidan piped up quietly.
The Tiger's ears twitched at the tone. “What?”
Aidan let out another labored huffed as he fidget a little more. “You’re… Y-you’re too t-tall…” he muttered sheepishly.

The words prompted Rajah to look back, cocking an eyebrow and watching as Aidan stood on the tip of his toes—the kit’s small erection barely touching the halfway point of his rear. 
He failed to stifle his snickering, and burst out laughing, eliciting more frustrated huffing from Aidan. The Tiger clutched his stomach, doubling over slightly, his tail flicking with amusement.

The Arctic Fox stood back on his heels, watching as the Tiger cackled and laughed at him. He pursed his lips and rolled his eyes—unable to fathom how his small size had made the situation even worse. He gave Rajah a few light swats on the side, wordlessly asking him to stop, but to no avail—the feline was having the time of his life right then.

Aidan whimpered childishly—his eyes watering with embarrassment—and lightly raked his claws across Rajah’s abs. “Okay, Rajah. I get it,” he muttered, each loud cackle piercing his large ears. “S-stop it, man. Quit it!” he cried through the bursts of laughter.

He tapped his foot and groaned, then finally glanced down past Rajah’s rear to the back of his orange-furred knees—straight and steady, giving him an idea. With a swift motion, he knocked his own knees into them, watching as the giggling feline slowly dropped to the floor, his perky ass still up as he slowly regained his breath.

Aidan's embarrassed scowl met Rajah's face as the feline looked up. “Are you done?” He puffed up, crossing his arms and glaring, though the faint blush in his pink inner ears betrayed him.
“My bad,” Rajah managed to say between chuckles, “it’s just—you’re so tiny. It's, like, ridiculous.”

Aidan scoffed lightly and slowly kneeled down, placing his hands on either side of Rajah’s cheeks. Despite the brief moment of embarrassment, his swollen penis hadn’t softened one bit. He sighed sharply and shuffled forward slightly, only to have his boner pressed against the line of sweat under Rajah’s tail, moaning as his sensitive meat connected with the squirming butt.
In turn, Rajah gasped quietly, suddenly stifling his giggling—it was accidental, but he had just backed against Aidan's modest erection. There was a moment of silence before he nodded, encouraging the vulpine to continue.

Aidan let out a shaky breath and tentatively rubbed his clothed cock against the soft globes, feeling electricity course through his body. His hands moved to Rajah's hips, holding him as he hesitantly pushed his little cock in between the cheeks again, making the small wet spot on the surface of his beige shorts spread more. 
The white Fox held himself in place, feeling the warmth of their bodies mix, then pulled back—slowly thrusting forward again, steadily building speed as the ruffling of their clothes and the wet squelching from his primed tip filled the space.

Rajah panted, feeling his tail hole twitch reflexively as it was prodded by Aidan, eliciting purring moans from him—and sharp, quiet yips from the Fox. Precum oozed steadily from the tip of his feline cock, throbbing with pleasure with each light pound that Aidan gave him, feeling the small claws pricking his sides. He reached his right hand in between his legs, squeezing and stroking his length through his shorts, his jockstrap getting soaked in musky precum.He pushed back, feeling Aidan jump a little and let out a long moan, his cock throbbing against his crevice. 

Rajah startled a little as sweat ran right in between his eyes, being caught on the bridge of his glasses. He took them off and wiped his face with his palm, seeing how it soaked into this white-fur, and placed the glasses off to the side, purring as Aidan pushed harder against his backside—all the friction was making both Anthros drenched in sweat.

Aidan was in complete ecstasy, each thrust making his sensitive Fox meat twitch, though his slick head started to become a little sore from the abrasion. Regardless, he kept humping Rajah with all his force, only managing to rock the bigger Tiger a little as his hips connected to his sweaty rear. His breathing became shallow, his throat feeling dry from panting as the musky air filled his nose.

He could feel something growing in his stomach, and his balls pulsated slightly as the electricity coursing through his body peaked suddenly—he was really close to finishing. He stopped in place, his hips still connected to Rajah as he breathed heavily, staving off his climax. With a loud huff, the Fox relaxed and began breathing heavily again, receiving a confused glance from the striped Anthro.

	“Did—did you like, finish, man?” Rajah asked between sharp breaths.
	Aidan shook his head and brushed an affectionate hand on Rajah's striped back, watching his fur stand up and a low purr travel his body. “N-no. I-I almost did, though,” he admitted with a small sigh, catching his breath.
	“Oh,” Rajah started, and brushed his hair off his face. “Why not, dude?”

Aidan traced the small of Rajah's back with his claws, sending a shiver up the Tiger's spine and making him arch his body in reaction, pressing his butt against the Fox's sensitive penis.

	Aidan let out a soft groan before speaking. “I-I wanted to try something…” He could feel his face burning hotter. “Can I,” he cleared his throat before finishing, his voice dropping volume with each word. “C-can I see it? I-I have an idea…”

Aidan was fully expecting some comment from Rajah, something snarky or that would make him even more embarrassed. But instead, the orange feline blushed deeper, looking coyish before the request. 
Even if he had allowed Aidan to do whatever he liked so far, Rajah's mind blocked the possibility of things escalating—especially to that point. However, the Tiger didn't complain, and found the idea so horny he whimpered needily, a small jet of pre staining his underwear in the process.

	Rajah smiled crookedly and nodded. “Okay,” he replied. “Just don't, like, fuck me or anything.” He let out a chuckle when Aidan yipped reactively, then wiggled his ass, feeling it squish against the younger Anthro's pelvis. “Go ahead dude, they're not gonna pull themselves off.”
	Aidan froze in place, his breath escaping his nose slowly as he processed Rajah's words. “O-okay,” he replied. His hands trembled as they landed on the base of the feline's tail.

He easily undid the clasp on the tail loop, letting the appendage free to brush against his face, and shuddered pleasantly. He hooked his fingers inside the waistband and gulped, slowly dragging the red shorts down, revealing inch by inch of Rajah's white-furred ass. Aidan watched as Rajah squirmed slightly—the jockstrap bands dug lightly on his plump backside—and pulled the shorts all the way down to his knees.
With the intense heat, Rajah’s nethers and most private parts were drenched in sweat—the hormone-filled musk hit Aidan’s nose and made his already rock hard cock throb painfully.

The kit took in the sweaty essence with deep huffs, but refrained from moving any closer, not wanting to weird his peer out. However, he couldn’t help himself from squeezing the perky cheeks with both hands, parting them apart slightly and peering at the pink ring of flesh in between them. The feline froze, flexing his backside and thighs in defense.

Rajah squirmed and whined softly, aware of not only how bare he was, but also of his stance and how Aidan’s soft hands played with his ass—just like he had been doing to the Fox the previous day. 
He jumped a little when the kit's hands traveled to his abs, then down his hips, his groin, and then tugged at his muscular legs, coaxing him to sprawl on his belly and chest. He stretched an arm and dragged his bag on the wooden floor, laying his chin on top of his sweaty, folded jersey, nervously wondering what Aidan was planning.

“So… what’s that idea?” The Tiger asked, concern filling his voice.
Aidan stared down and gulped, seeing the sheen of sweat reflecting off Rajah’s butt. “Uhhh… J-just—just gotta get rid of t-these.” The Fox’s hands grabbed his shorts.

Aidan sat down and shuffled on the floor, undoing his tail clasp and peeling his shorts off, seeing a thick, wet line of sweat where his cheeks and taint met. He dropped them on the floor and looked at his light gray boxer briefs—several wet stains marked the front while the largest one was pushed by his shaft. He pulled them down, his tail getting caught on the loop as it wagged quickly—the exhilaration of being half-naked in a playground caused his whole body to shake, and he felt almost feverish in the heat.
His pink head was glistening in the light, dripping some pre on the wooden boards as he pulled his foreskin back, earning a pleasuring twitch from his member. He gulped, crawling on his hands and knees to the splayed feline, and kneeled behind him.

Rajah looked apprehensive but curious as the Fox bent down slightly, and felt as Aidan's wet dick traced in between his cheeks, making him nearly yowl in surprise. He snapped his head at the nervous vulpine, watching as his blue eyes widened in excitement.

	“Shorty!” he exclaimed, making the Fox yip and snap his attention to him. “Don't you dare.” Rajah hissed angrily, making the fur on the back of kit's neck bristle.
	Aidan nodded quickly. “I-I know!” The smaller Anthro looked deep into the feline's green eyes. “I promise,” he added softly, laying his hands carefully on the Tiger's rear.
	Rajah frowned slightly—it was hard to stay mad at the kit with that innocent tone. He shook his head and laid on his backpack. “Whatever, you horny little weirdo,” he grumbled, his face a hot tone of crimson.

Aidan smiled sheepishly and chuckled, kneading the butt in his hands and receiving an accepting moan. He lined his precum-slicked penis and pulled the feline's hips up a bit, gently sinking his small length along the middle of the white colored cheeks, feeling the damp fur embrace his dick as he spread them apart slightly. In turn, Rajah whimpered and then moaned, feeling the white Fox's modest cock slide in between his cheeks, its belly brushing lightly against his entrance and turning him on even more as he got hotdogged.

Aidan kept a steady pace, giving long thrusts as Rajah twitched slightly under him, having to sometimes realign his dick with a hand. The Tiger's purrs traveled through his member and up his belly, making him tremble. He began going faster, his thrusts shortening as the wet squelching sounds filled the room, his pre jetting out and mixing with the Tiger's ass sweat. Both boys were moaning softly as Aidan's thighs slapped wetly against Rajah's, the air sticky with the combined smells of musky Fox precum, and earthy, mainly, hormone-filled Tiger sweat.

Rajah pushed back and up with his legs and lower back, allowing Aidan to sink a little deeper—the Arctic Fox member poking and prodding against his wet tailhole. He moaned loudly as Aidan clenched his buttcheeks together and thrusted with all his strength, making his slightly heavier body rock forward on the wooden boards.

Aidan's mind was fogged up by all the sensations as he humped his bully—every movement sending waves of pleasure through his loins—and ashamedly admitted to himself that this was, in fact, much better than just an apology. He looked down at the Tiger and pushed one last time, driving him beyond his limit.

He slid his foreskin back as much as his hard cock would allow, twitching and trembling as he pressed the two cheeks together tightly, squishing his little member in between them. His breath was caught in his throat, and bit down his lower lip—initially suppressing his moans—but then turned into a yipping mess as he shot his first musky, watery string of cum on Rajah's tail. He pushed his hips even further, his pink glans bending down slightly at its limit as he erupted on the Tiger's striped back, painting his bully in white fluid.

Rajah whined quietly as he felt the hot liquid hit as far as the middle of his back, with each weakening spurt shooting closer until it pooled in his ass, overflowing to the sides and getting absorbed by the red fabric of his jockstrap. He panted and then huffed heavily as he felt Aidan drop on top of him, the kit's slander arms wrapping around his sternum as he moaned and groaned against his muscled back.

	Rajah huffed again before he had the strength to speak up, and when he did, his throat hurt from the dryness. “Damn, Shorty,” he said under his breath. “I can't tell what's, like, sweat and jizz back there. You're smearing it all over,” he said, sounding almost annoyed, though his voice was also amused.
	Aidan pressed his face against the feline's upper back and whimpered, riding out the last of his orgasm. “I'm sorry,” he mumbled, and nuzzled against the Tiger's fur, feeling his feline tail curl around his skinny leg.
	“All good,” Rajah said quietly, secretly enjoying how warm and fluffy the kit's fur was—his dick throbbed against the floor needily, leaking another stream of pre.

They remained like that for a moment, panting, trying to recover their energy. It was Aidan who broke the contact when jumped off the Tiger—the post-ejaculation clarity hitting him like a truck. He rolled on his side and sat up on his heels, holding his hands protectively in front of him.

	“I-I-I'm sorry! I-I d-didn’t mean to lay down o-on you,” he cried as he watched the Tiger shift, turning around slowly.
	Rajah shuddered as his cum-slick back touched the floor, all the pooled semen flowing in between his ass and his taint. “Chill, dude. That was gnarly!” he exclaimed with an impressed cackle, which disarmed Aidan. “Those tiny nuts sure do make, like, a lot of Fox cum,” he taunted, making Aidan blush intensely.
	The vulpine shuffled on his hands and knees, his tail brushing on the ground. “Ah, shush,” he mocked with a relieved smile on his lips, and poked a white finger on Rajah's drippy erection—the red fabric of the feline's jockstrap was almost completely drenched in a blend of pre, Fox-jizz, and sweat. “You were loooving it too,” he teased back.
Rajah exhaled briskly and flinched at the touch—his Tiger meat was very sensitive. “Easy there, dude. Got a bit of a hair trigger right now.”
Aidan's eyes widened—the kit thought the orange Anthro had finished with him due to the wetness in his underwear. “You didn't,” he cleared his throat. “you know… cum?” he asked quietly as if it was taboo.
The tiger shook his head slowly, his eyes lazily looking up to meet Aidan's. “Well, no. Unless you're jizz counts for that,” he mocked.
“Y-you didn't uh… finish yesterday either, right?” The white Anthro could feel his face reddening, his semi-limp dick stirring softly in between his legs when he received a shake from Rajah's head in response. His eyes trained on the red, throbbing bulge. “D-d-do you want me t-to—y’knowhelpyoufinish?” he yammered nervously, his ears flattening to his head as he looked between the Tiger's smirk and the mound in between his strong legs.
Rajah chuckled and reached a hand towards the Fox's nethers, flicking the small twitching member, and watching his peer jump a little and yelp. “Real smooth, nerd.” He snickered when Aidan batted his orange hand lightly with a frown. “First you like, get me butt naked. And now you wanna see my dick?” He grinned charmingly.
“Yes or no, Rajah?” Aidan mumbled and pouted, then proceeded to close his legs a little as his Fox peen hardened again. He let out a boyish giggle when the Tiger nudged his bony ribs—a form of payback for the times he had poked the feline earlier.
Well, I'm not one to, like, pass on offers. So…” Rajah chuckled as a goofy smile spread across the vulpine’s white face.

Aidan nodded sheepishly and shuffled down to Rajah's crotch, giving the Tiger a nice view of his perky, white-furred ass, his small orbs bouncing inside his fuzzy sac, and his fluffy tail rapidly wagging from side to side. As he closed in on Rajah's hips, the laying feline spread his legs to give him better access; Rajah's twitching erection was pushing the red and white jockstrap straight up, allowing Aidan to see some of his pink shaft and the bush of brown juvenile pubes above it. The Arctic Fox climbed over the muscled legs and then kneeled in between them, staring down nervously as he second guessed his offer, though it was hard to ignore as his penis throbbed again to life.
Looking up, he saw Rajah cross his arms behind his head; the smirk on his white and orange face looked like an issuing challenge to the young Fox—and he knew he couldn't back down now.

Aidan reached his hands and cupped the feline's testicles, receiving a long moan in response, and stroked the length over the jockstrap. He pinched the wet elastic band and pulled it down, making the turgid cock spring up and stand straight up in front of his vigilant eyes. 

The Tiger groaned pleasantly with the rush of cool air hitting his crotch as Aidan tucked his underwear behind his sweaty balls. He looked down to see another drop of pre leak down his shaft before Aidan's trembling hand wrapped gently around his sensitive member. He let out a soft whimper, feeling his climax ever so close as the Fox stroked him gently. 

The small vulpine paused, his eyes darting up and down the feline's athletic body, and lowered his grip to the base of the twitching cock, where more precum pooled around his hand. His nose twitched as he bent down, his muzzle standing only a few inches away as he breathed in the scent coming from the Tiger crotch: it was sweaty, but a strong scent of musky Fox cum still wafted up from the feline's taint—and Aidan couldn't help but moan as he took more of it. He laid a hand on the floor for leverage and parted his trembling lips, giving the tip of Rajah cock a tentative lick, tasting the salty Tiger precum and sweat. 

His ears perked slightly when the older Anthro let out a high pitched moan—his striped legs twitching in reflex—and chuckled softly before taking a longer lick, swallowing every drop of salty teen pre that entered his mouth.
His wet tongue glided from the base of Rajah sheath all the way to the tip, repeating the movement over and over, coaxing more watery fluid to jett from the throbbing member. Meanwhile, Rajah whimpered and moaned needily, his brain feeling like it was on fire as his body was shocked with each lick from the small, soft tongue. His face twisted and contorted with pleasure, and he couldn't hold his own body from doing the same, closing his legs and squeezing the Fox in between them gently.

The white-furred Anthro chuckled as his black nose gently nuzzled the Tiger’s nuts, taking in their musky smell before he felt Rajah's legs squishing his own. He felt oddly secure with the sweet contact, and his tail wagged in response. He gave the two white orbs small licks before he pulled back up, and enveloped the leaky tip with his lips, tasting it as his tongue brushed against its underside. 

The kit could feel Rajah purring, the vibrations travelling in his mouth and down his tongue as he slowly inched in—though not for long. As he took the engorged penis in his mouth, he coughed, choking before he was even able to get it halfway in. Aidan gagged once, twice—fighting so he could take the entirety of the Tiger's meat in his mouth—but sputtered and gagged a third time. He pulled back, coughing dryly and clutching his throat.

Rajah snapped out of horny daze, his senses coming back due to Aidan's choked breaths, and his now slick dick coming in contact with the air. He looked up as the vulpine sat back, clearing his throat as he tried to steel himself.

	“Easy. Easy now,” he cooed, reaching a hand towards the Fox. “It's okay, dude. Don't hurt yourself.” He cringed with the noticeable worry in his voice, but also felt bad for the younger Antro. “Still sore?” he asked, leaning up a little and meeting his eyes with Aidan's watery ones.
	The Fox nodded, swallowing heavily in an attempt to soothe his windpipe. “I'm alright,” he croaked, blinking the welling tears and quickly wiping them with his fingers.
	Rajah’s ears folded in a strange mix of concern and mild guilt. “You don’t need to do it, dude. I… I can get it done myself,” he offered, his words slightly slurred but also soft.
	“No—” Aidan exclaimed a little too loud and covered his mouth, seeing as the Tiger's ears perked up in surprise. “I-I mean, I'm okay. J-just sit back and… enjoy?” he offered with an awkward smile—it quickly turned into an embarrassed grimace as his ears took on a tint of red, and he wished he could bury his head somewhere.

**“I did call him cutesy didn't I?” Rajah thought, and covered his face with his hands, hiding the growing pink that spread on his cheeks. He nodded slowly and did as told, peeking through his fingers as the vulpine took a deep breath and approached his groin. 
His breath got caught in his throat as Aidan took his cock in his warm mouth, slurping his length with more caution than before. He moaned as the vulpine licked his tip, and then the sides of his shaft, slowly taking more of him in with inexperienced movements—though to the Tiger, they were more than enough to drive him closer to the edge.

Aidan gulped, swallowing another heavy flow of feline pre, and reached a hand to hold Rajah's waist. He breathed in slowly, letting his head down inch by inch, his tongue exploring the throbbing member in his mouth as he got used to it. He moaned as Rajah's purring tickled his throat, and reached a hand in between his legs, stroking himself rapidly as the salty taste of Tiger pre and musky sweat invaded his mouth.

It was after a long while when the Arctic Fox breathed in deeply, and took the entirety of the member in his mouth—his lips touching Rajah's stretched sheath as his nose pressed down on the musky pubes.

Rajah began trembling violently, bucking his hips up and driving his tip against Aidan's throat, his tail spasming randomly with pleasure. “Shorty…” he choked with each word. “I can't hold it in anymore,” he whimpered as Aidan closed his eyes shut, fighting his welling tears.

Rajah’s back arched off the floor, his toes spreading as his whole body stiffened. He let out a long yowling moan and could feel heavy loads of semen erupting from within him, hitting the back of Aidan's throat and making the little Fox whimper and grunt; the Fox’s own climax being driven off the edge by the salty cum invading his mouth.

The kit swallowed as much as he could, but was soon overwhelmed by the ropes of thick, hot cum quickly filling the inside of his mouth, making him gag and choke. He gulped a last mouthful of heavy Tiger load before he pulled back, coughing and wheezing, spilling spit-mixed cum on the floor beneath them as his windpipe burned.

Rajah's body finally gave in as he dropped back onto the floor, panting, but in complete bliss. He whined and looked down at his spit-lathered cock, and saw the condition the little Fox was in. His ears flattened to his head as Aidan hacked harshly with a hand clutching his neck. Thin tears welled in his eyes and slipped down his cheeks, staining his white fur. 
The feline felt his chest tighten—just like it had when he was on top of the vulpine in the lockers. His nose stung suddenly, and his green eyes filled with worry as he sat up, propping himself on one hand.

	“Oh shit,” he exclaimed shakily, groaning through the tail end of his climax as he twisted his body. He fumbled along the sides of his bag until he found his thermal bottle, and retrieved it. “Here.” He pressed the button to pop the cap open and handed it to the kit.

Aidan glanced up at the Tiger and scurried closer, sitting down beside him and taking the bottle in his hands. He swallowed the cold water as he kept coughing through his nose.

	“Hey. Hey, chill. Don't like, choke on that too,” Rajah cooed and placed a hand on the Fox's back, rubbing circles with his palm.

Aidan leaned into the touch, his ears flicking in surprise as Rajah patted him firmly—but cautiously—between his bony shoulder blades. He peered through blurry eyes and swallowed more water, cleaning his pipe of the remaining sticky substance.
The kit gasped for air, still coughing lightly as he handed the bottle back to its owner, who took a swig off it before putting it away. He stared at the striped feline, seeing the concern on his orange face—his emerald eyes warm and empathetic as he placed a hand on the kit's knee.

	“Try, like, stretching your arms over your head,” Rajah said softly. “I don’t know if that actually works, but—” He was cut off as Aidan flopped onto his belly, curling into a ball and letting out small, high-pitched whines. “Or… you can just lay right there,” he added, his tone annoyed—but didn’t protest.

From his comfortable spot, Aidan watched as the Tiger rested his head back on his bundled shirt, breathing heavily as his afterglow began to settle. He could feel the Tiger's body vibrating with a steady stream of long, wavering purrs—sounding like white noise as he pressed his black-furred ear to Rajah's stomach. 
He reached and lightly grazed a claw across the surface of Rajah's abs, watching the soft fur shift and consequently create more ticklish ripples.

They remained in silence for a long while, only the sound of Aidan's occasional cough and Rajah's purring filling the space. The kit flinched as he saw Rajah reaching his hand, but was pleasantly surprised as the older boy moved a strand of hair off his face.
Aidan relaxed as Rajah's soft digits brushed through his fluffy hair, his claws massaging his scalp and making the kit hum happily. He closed his eyes briefly as the Tiger scratched behind his ear, listening as he chuckled softly—to Aidan, it was safe to assume he was laughing at him. And yet, he loved the sweet touch.

	“Better now?” Rajah said breathlessly, still a little dazed.
	Aidan nodded, rubbing the side of his face just above the older Anthro's navel. “Yeah,” he rasped weakly and cleared his throat. “Thanks for helping.”
	“Yeah, no problem,” Rajah sighed out, staring down at the young Fox.
	There was a brief pause before Aidan hummed uncomfortably. “Man, this is so weird,” he chuckled, his face tinting red as Rajah snickered.
	“You mean the fact that, like, we're half naked in a playground and the first thing anyone will see if they come up through the slide is your perky butt?” Rajah slurred through his words. “Well yeah, this is, like, weird.”

Aidan's ears twitched as he looked back, his rear was in clear view just like the Tiger had pointed out. He twisted his lower body off the ground slightly and flickered his tail rapidly—showing off his round cheeks—and looked at Rajah with a toothy, shy smile, making both of them giggle at the little gesture.

	The Fox dropped back on the feline's stomach. “So… Am **I any good?” He repeated the Tiger's words from the previous day.
Rajah shook his head lightly. “That was… not half bad! Like, real **gnarly, dude.” He laughed, making Aidan bounce his head on his belly and giggle. “Probably not better than me, though.” He stretched out while sifting his fingers through the vulpine's white hair, who simply rolled his eyes playfully.

The Tiger narrowed his eyes a little; it took a moment, but his nearsighted vision eventually focused on the black tag sticking out of Aidan's torn shirt. He read it in his mind a few times before speaking up.

	“Dude, I know you're little, but you still wear extra small?” The Tiger was bewildered as he read the “XS” underneath an almost faded website.
	Aidan cocked an eyebrow. “Hm?” he hummed, and then realized what the Tiger was talking about. “Oh! No, I—erm… this shirt is just really old. Heart of Tethron merch is usually suuuper large.” He watched the Tiger's expression relax as he nodded. “But… anything M or larger makes me look like I'm in a dress,” he added matter of factly. The Tiger wasn't about to deny it as he chuckled in agreement.
“Well, bet you’d look real good in that,” he mocked, though his blush grew together with Aidan’s.

They shared a laugh, the kind of which felt impossible at any other moment—and Aidan slowly realized it. He didn’t hate Rajah, not for a second. Despite how grueling the last two days had been, despite how mean the Tiger was to him, the Arctic Fox refused to let go of his hope, as small as it was.
His chest tightened with deep concern, and his ears lowered, making him look meek before the Tiger. He shifted slightly and pulled himself up, locking eyes with Rajah as the older Anthro took in his expression.

	“Hey,” Aidan started, his eyes downcast. “I-I know Principal Fillmore said we didn't need to like each other or be friends, but… I don’t wanna be enemies either.” There was a whimpering noise to his voice, which caught the feline’s attention. He hesitated before continuing, feeling like he would be disappointed with the answer. “I… No—n-no one's gonna know about all this, right?” the kit asked with noticeable fear in his voice—the words almost choked.
	“No.” Was Rajah's immediate answer, taking Aidan aback, his big ears raising slightly. “No one's gonna know about this.” Rajah punctuated with a frown and a shake of his head.

The Tiger’s eyes were firm, but his voice was a soft touch that the Fox needed. It was the little bit of respite that he had been looking for, and as Rajah rubbed the back of his knuckles on his chest, Aidan felt comfortable with him.

His face brightened up slowly, and so did Rajah’s. “Thank you,” the seventh grader said softly.
“Sure thing, Shorty. Just don’t think I’ll be holding hands with you or anything.”
“Well, **your tail is curling on my legs so…” He pointed down as the striped appendage laid on his thin legs, receiving a shy scoff from the Tiger.

Aidan closed his eyes and stuck his tongue out, blepping in a way that only Foxes seemed to know how to do. Rajah’s heart skipped a beat seeing that, watching as his peer nuzzled against his belly affectionately.

	“Yeah, no.” The Tiger's hand moved before he even thought, pushing carefully at Aidan's face. “We're not doing no cutesy, nuzzly Fox shit, okay? Like, at all.”
	The vulpine whimpered as he was forced away, staring at Rajah with a puzzled face. “B-but you **licked my belly yesterday!” Aidan exclaimed as Rajah awkwardly got up, and followed the Tiger's movement as he dressed himself.
	“Well, you're not me, and I'm not you. I can do it—you can't. It's that simple,” Rajah said as he strained not to bump his head on the low ceiling.
	Aidan's eyes and ears dropped. “Fine…” He relented with a sigh.

The Arctic Fox looked down to see his limp penis, still slick with his own cum. His blue t-shirt had a few white spots from when he laid on top of the eight-grader; he was almost annoyed before remembering it was torn anyway. 
As he picked up his clothes and began pulling them on, something on the floor caught his eye. He snickered into his hands, his blue eyes darting back and forth between it and the eighth-grader.

Rajah followed the kit’s gaze, and groaned; on the floorboards was the outline of his body made of his own sweat, with the very accentuated shape of his ass mixed with some of the Fox's cum.

	Aidan looked up to meet with Rajah’s narrow eyes—and he couldn't help himself as he began speaking. “I think you got a bit of a swap a—” He was cut off as Rajah pressed a finger to his little black nose.
	“Shut it,” Rajah hissed and watched as Aidan's lips trembled, trying to hold his laugh back. He rolled his eyes and sighed annoyed, moving his hand to the Fox's back and patting it lightly, urging him to move. “C'mon, let's wash a little. Pretty sure I saw a hose outside.”

The boys awkwardly climbed out of the jungle gym and headed toward the old faucet—the faded green hose curled like a sleeping snake in the distance. Both were clearly flustered as some pedestrians stared at them in confusion, and they weren't sure what was worse: being seen in a playground much too young for them, or the possibility the strangers could see the spots of cum on them even from afar.

Rajah uncoiled the sun-baked rubber hose while Aidan put their backpacks away, wincing as the heat stung his hands. A mischievous smile curled the corners of his lips as he twisted the handle, sending a spray of hot water right on the Fox’s face. Aidan yelped and scrambled back, trying to escape, only for the Tiger to run after him as far as the hose would allow.

They cleaned up as much as they deemed fit, mostly washing the remaining semen off their fur while Aidan also got to rinse his mouth. The vulpine spit some water on the grass when he spotted Rajah from the corner of his eyes, wringing his shirt, his striped back turned to him. He smiled with an idea, and filled his mouth with some cool water and approached the Tiger quietly. When he was close enough, he quickly hooked his finger inside the back of Rajah's shorts and pulled them out, spitting the water right on the Tiger's crack. That made Rajah jump in the air and yowl in surprise—Aidan's yipping laughter only ceased when the feline turned around with a furious scowl.

***

The boys walked slowly beside each other, the sun slowly drying their clothes and fur as they made their way home. The small-talk between them had slowly developed into Aidan trying to explain how to play Heart of Tethron to Rajah using baseball terms, which then turned into the Tiger trying to explain what an inning was and the function of each player. The result of both was just as bad as one would have expected, though Aidan was content they could share their interests.

It was in a brief pause in their conversation when Rajah kept walking straight ahead while Aidan turned right before the crosswalk. Both Anthros looked at each other, confused, yet knowing this would happen eventually. Aidan was the one who broke the silence.

	“You… are you going straight?” the Fox asked while pulling at his backpack straps.
	Rajah nodded slowly and pointed with a thumb. “Yeah. My place is at Royal Creek.”
	“Oh… mine is by Grasslinge,” Aidan explained, looking back at the trees on the sidewalk behind him.
	“Okay…” The Tiger nodded, and observed the kit: his fluffy tail nervously swished behind him, his eyes downcast as he tapped his foot on the ground. “So, see you tomorrow?”
	The kit shrugged, his eyes meeting Rajah's. “Maybe,” he said under his breath, and Rajah almost didn't hear it.

The striped feline watched as Aidan hesitantly turned around and began walking away. His tail was limp behind him, and his steps were slow and heavy. Rajah breathed deeply and looked around, following some of the cars in the street with his eyes, recognizing it was high time for him to leave, but he stayed put for another moment.
He cursed to himself, hesitating and looking around for any signs of people—especially kids from East Pines—on the sidewalks around him, and cleared his throat. His head and chest fought with each other, a cold wave washing his stomach in the process, making it even harder to speak.

	“Sho—shit, no.” ​​He threw up his arms and let them drop onto his legs with a frustrated sigh. “Uhhh… Aidan!” he called out, feeling how weird it was to say the Fox's actual name.

Aidan’s ears perked up, and he turned to see the Tiger beckoning him with a hand, his head and eyes darting around as he scanned their surroundings. He furrowed his brows in confusion, and walked the short distance back. His own eyes began scanning the neighborhood, though he wasn't sure what he was looking for—especially since Rajah stayed silent the whole time.

He looked behind him and then to his right, seeing nothing besides houses, parked cars, and one fire hydrant. “What are we looking for?” he asked innocently and turned his head back to the Tiger.

His stomach churned when he saw Rajah inch closer—his tall, athletic build looming over him—his eyes cold and slightly narrowed. He was about to ask what was going on when the Tiger kissed his cheek for a long moment. 

Aidan's white face burned hot, his eyes widening and ears standing up tall toward the sky. He looked up as Rajah retreated with the same hot blush on his cheeks.

	“Show up tomorrow.” The Tiger's tone wasn't commanding—if anything, it was reassuring.

It took a long moment for Aidan to react, his body trembling slightly as he tried to process what had just happened. He nodded slowly, his tail wagging behind him as Rajah nodded back, and turned away. He watched the Tiger briskly cross the street, noticeably embarrassed by his little gesture, and disappeared around the next corner where the Fox couldn't see past.
Aidan stood there for a long minute, then chuckled in disbelief, blinking slowly as he walked home.

The next day, second period.

The Arctic Fox made his way through the corridors of East Pines. His posture was hunched over slightly as he looked around; his small hands clutching to the straps of his backpack, his usual energetic, skippy walk reduced to a brisk and stiff stride. All Aidan wanted was to be in and out of class without anyone even noticing his presence.

It hadn't happened yet, but he believed with every fiber in his small body that it was only a matter of time until he heard someone making fun of him, or maybe Rajah's clique would circle him out because of what happened the previous day. The faces in the crowd were impossible to be recognized as he passed them by, becoming multi-colored blurs as the sweat on his brow ran down his face.

Aidan entered his Ilustran classroom and plopped into his seat, rummaging through his bag for his book and writing materials as he tugged on his slightly oversized plain black t-shirt. The dark fabric was a sharp contrast to the friendly tone of blue the kit usually wore, but he felt comfortable in it—even if it made his white fur stand out in a way he didn't intend.
His eyes caught something in his peripheral vision, and he slowly turned his head. Looking up, he saw the familiar face of Curtis. The Bear gave a polite wave, and Aidan’s gaze dropped to the package tucked under his arm, held firmly in his left hand. His ears snapped back as he gulped, his lip quivering instinctively when their eyes met.

	“Hey,” the ursine started causally, his inexpressive face still reigning over any matter of emotion.
	Aidan didn’t answer immediately—he could count on one hand the number of times the Bear had ever started a conversation with him—so this type of occurrence was almost completely strange to him. “Hey,” he replied, his voice weak and breathy.
	“Rajah told me you two worked things out. As in, **actually worked things out. Even said that he apologized. That was NOT something that I was expecting.” The Bear's expression showed just a hint of doubt or surprise—it was hard for Aidan to tell. 

Aidan's fur stood up a little, his cheeks warming up as he remembered the last day. His tail moved to his lap, both in a defensive way but also to conceal the slight stir in his crotch. He gave Curtis a small nod.

	“Yeah, he apologized,” he said with a quiet, shy chuckle. “I mean, as well as Rajah knows how to apologize, anyway.”
	Curtis nodded slowly. “Well, I'm… glad that worked out as well as it looks?” he said hesitantly. “Anyway, I had to check it for myself.” He shrugged, and placed the box on Aidan's desk. “That's for you.”
	His ears perked up. “What's this?”
	“Don't know. Don't care.” Curtis shook his head and rolled his eyes. “All I know it's yours.” He began stepping away before Aidan could ask anything else. “See you, Novikson.”
	Aidan opened his mouth and craned his neck toward the older Anthro, but only caught sight of him leaving the room. “Bye…” he said to no one.

The Fox looked down and tilted his head to the side, inspecting the small package. He could tell it had been opened at some point, but secured again with weaker tape instead of the original one. He spotted the “overnight delivery” seal on the side, and placed a small claw at the edge of the box, easily opening it with a snap.

Aidan's eyes widened with surprise, a strange feeling tugging at his chest as his vision registered what was in front of him. He gingerly pulled the contents out of the package and held it in front of him, seeing the vibrant color of his favorite t-shirt. 
The familiar smell of unworn, fresh-from-factory fabric wafted to his nose as he spotted the official “H.O.T” tag on the plastic loop. His breath slowed down as he observed the white clawed paw in the chest, his tail going ballistic as he quickly got up and held the shirt against his body, seeing it was the right size.

He let out a yipping laugh—a warm feeling bouncing around in his chest as he mentally celebrated. He quickly folded the piece of clothing—he'd change into it as soon as he could—and went to place it back in the package, but his eyes caught something else inside the box. 
He reached his hand in and pulled out a small pack of papers folded in half, and read the contents—homework. Eighth-grade homework. Rajah's homework.

He shook his head in disbelief, though the corners of his mouth curled into a small smile. **“What a jerk,” he thought with a long sigh.

End of story.