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As it turns out, fitting in can be as hard going in that direction as it is from the country to the city. Some of the local boys show him the ropes, though.\n\nI was going through old drafts and found that I'd nearly finished this one, so I decided to clean it up and post it.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "A young cat moves from the city to the country. As it turns out, fitting in can be as hard going in that direction as it is from the country to the city. Some of the local boys show him the ropes, though.

I was going through old drafts and found that I'd nearly finished this one, so I decided to clean it up and post it.", "writing": "Max glanced up at the sky, but saw not a single cloud there to break up the blue. It'd be hot out for sure, and shade was scarce. All around, the land stretched flat. It wasn't like back home, where he could laze beneath big oaks and elms in the park.\n\nHe looked to either side; corn to the left, wheat to the right—maybe the other way around. It all looked the same to him. It was a ten minute walk, thereabouts, from the farmhouse to the center of town, about, and already the scenery bored Max. The kitten sighed and trudged down the road. \n\n“Go and explore the town,” Father had said, but Max knew that there would be little to explore. Here there was plenty of land to play in, but few trees—or anything else, for that matter. There were fewer homes in the entire town than on his block back home. Here instead of stately brownstones, there were clapboard homes, and even on those the paint had long worn thin. \n\nWhat Father had [i]wanted [/i]was to get Max out of earshot while he and Mama argued. But they had argued plenty back in the city, and here Mama hated things even more. Max kicked up a little cloud of dust from the dirt road, then cursed under his breath and patted his knickers clean as he walked. Mama would be furious if he got them dirty, especially since she was in a mood. And though Max sided with Mama on this particular argument with Father, he would still earn himself some scolding if he came home dirty.\n\nBy the time Max looked up from his fussing with his clothes, the town lay just ahead. “This is our dream home?” he murmured to himself. Father's dream, maybe; the town resembled any one of the little country places Father wrote about in his books. Walking closer to the little row of buildings, he could see how worn everything looked even easier than he could from the car. The reality didn't match up to the way the books described things.\n\nThere it was. Max saw the sign for the general store; that's where he wanted to go. He touched the pennies in his pocket, the bribe that got him out of the house with no arguments. At least he could celebrate his first day here with some candy. Not that he felt like celebrating.\n\nThe door's tinkling little bell gave the same cheerful tone as in Max's favorite candy store back home. But that seemed like the only similarity. He passed a barrel full of crackers, bolts of cloth waiting to be sewn, cans of food; while stores at home usually sold one thing or another, this store had a little of everything in a small space. He forgot his homesickness while examining the shelves, interest setting his tail a-flicker.\n\n“Good afternoon!”\n\nMax jumped, startled out of his exploration of the store. Out of the back room came a skunk. He was so old that much of his black fur looked a little faded at the tips, and long whiskers hung from either side of his grizzled muzzle. Max turned away from the shelf he was examining and towards the older male. “Hi,” he murmured, tail held straight behind him and still as shyness seized it, save for a shiver at its very tip.\n\n“Not from around here, are you?” asked the old skunk, as he squinted at Max. He paused thoughtfully, then laughed. “Well, you must be up at the old Wilkins farm. Slipped my mind that you'd be arriving this week.” said the old skunk. He stepped out from behind the counter and offered Max a shake with a calloused paw. “You've got your father's coloration. I'm Noah Hatcher, but everyone calls me Big Noah. Little Noah'd be my grandson. He's about your age.”\n\nMax shook the hand. Big Noah's grip felt strong enough to make his fingers ache. “It's good to meet you, sir,” he said, flexing his fingers in relief after Big Noah released that strong grip. Max dropped his hand into his pocket and drew out the coins. “I wanted to buy some candy, please.”\n\nThe skunk's muzzle split into a smile, teeth startlingly white compared to even the faded parts of the shopkeeper's black fur. “I got what you want, then. Here, up by the counter.” A large paw pressed on Max's shoulders and guided the kitten towards his sweet goal.\n\nUp at the counter were a handful of candy barrels. Max felt a twinge of homesickness again. He saw no taffy in its waxed wrapping. No chocolate wrapped in foil. He saw peanut brittle, horehound candy, some other things he couldn't identify; it felt a far cry from the selection he used to see at home. He did his best to hide his disappointment and smiled at Big Noah. “I can't decide. Can you pick out the best candy?” \n\n“Of course.” Big Noah smiled, set a sack on a scale, and began to add candy to the bag, picking and choosing things from several barrels. “And...here we go. A nickel's worth of candy, and maybe a little extra.”\n\nMax's watched with wide, unbelieving eyes. Maybe the selection wasn't as good as at home, but the skunk had weighed out much more candy than he could have gotten there. He smiled when Big Noah slid the bag forward, and clutched the sack as if afraid that the skunk would want it back. And then, the smile faded when the shopkeeper nudged the pennies back towards Max as well. “Mister, I have to pay.”\n\n“You're absolutely right,” said Big Noah, as he looked down at the kitten. “Or would be, on any day but this. It's my way of saying welcome to ya.” \n\nMax smiled genuinely for the first time that day. “Thank you! Thank you very much, Mister.”\n\n“Big Noah's will do fine when talking to me,” the shopkeeper said. “When you see your pa, tell him I'm hoping he'll come set for a spell. Met him when he came to look at the Wilkins place. Interesting fella to talk to.” \n\n“Thank you again.” Max started to turn towards the door. As quickly as it had come, his good mood was fading. He was wealthy now, with plenty of candy and five pennies to keep. But he knew he'd just walk in to an argument, this soon after leaving. Where could he go with his riches?\n\nBig Noah supplied Max with an answer. As the store's door again opened and rang the bell, the skunk came out from behind the counter. “Hold on a minute. Let me call my grandson. He can give you the tour of our town.” He laughed. “Such as it is. But I'm sure you'll want to meet some people your own age.” He turned towards the back of the store. “Noah! Come on out here.”\n\n“What is it, Grandpa?” came a voice, one belonging to someone more Max's age. Out of the back poked a head, the very image of what Big Noah must've looked like some fifty years ago. \n\n“Come out here and meet, ah...”\n\n“Max.”\n\n“Max. This here's Little Noah. Noah, his family's going to be fixing up the Wilkins place. How about you show him around? I'll finish up with your chores.”\n\nLittle Noah stepped into the room. He was almost a head taller than Max, and could have been the spitting image of Big Noah, only fifty years younger. “Oh. Ah...pleased to meet you, Max,” he says. The skunk's eyes took in Max's clothes, from his clean white shirt and cap to his well-polished shoes. He didn't seem impressed.\n\nMax didn't understand why Little Noah looked at his clothes so oddly. What he wore looked finer than the skunk's dust-smudged overalls and bare feet. Still, he faked a smile. The skunk had to make nice because his grandfather told him to, and he had to make nice because of the free candy. Neither could refuse. “Thanks,” he said to the elder skunk, with as much sincerity as he could mange.\n\n“You're welcome. Now, skedaddle. I've got tidying up to do here.” Big Noah shooed the boys out of the store. \n\n“Come on. This won't take long,” Little Noah said, as he stepped out onto the store's porch.\n\n“Sure,” Max said. Part of him wanted to simply be left alone. But this gave him a way to pass the time, if nothing else. He rummaged into his bag of candy, glanced at his new companion, and instead offered the bag to Little Noah. “You want some?”\n\nNoah glanced down at the little paper sack, then back up at Max's face. For a moment Max thought that the skunk would refuse. But then Noah smiled the same brilliant smile his grandfather showed, something more genuine than Max had just offered up in the store. “Thanks.” He popped a pieceinto his muzzle. “The horehound candy's the best. My gramma made those. But I usually only get to have one a week. You're all right.”\n\nThey were going to get along. Max felt relieved. In the city, a lone kitten could get bullied a lot, and he had no reason to think it'd be much different in the country. A friend could make things more bearable. “So, uh...what's there to see around here, anyways?”\n\nNoah looked over at Max. “To see? Well, for fancy city folk, probably nothing. But...come on.” He stepped off the porch to the general store and onto the dirt road, leading Max towards the far side of town. \n\n“That there's the church. We just built that two years ago. It's the only one around, unless you want to go to Summerville down the road a ways.”\n\nMax nodded. Of course, the steeple made the building's purpose obvious enough. “And that one over there?” he asked, pointing to a small building, smaller than the general store even.\n\n“That's the school.” When he saw the skeptical look on Max's face, he laughed. “It's a little small, huh? It's just two teachers for all of us kids.”\n\nMax shook his head. His old school had been made of brick and three floors big, not such a small thing. “I can't believe it.”\n\nNoah grinned. “We only one teacher until last year. We're getting bigger.” He pointed a paw. “That's where most of the adults go to drink if they don't feel like drinking at home.”\n\n“It's...nice.”\n\n“You really think so?” Noah looked over at Max. “No, I can see you don't, not really.” He let out a little sigh. “Can't say I blame you. Grandpa took me into the big city for my birthday this year. It's like a different world there.” He came to a stop. “I should probably warn you. Some people around here might get sensitive if they think you're looking down your nose on the town. Especially, well...especially looking the way you do.”\n\n“What's wrong with the way I look?” said Maxwell, looking down at his clothes. They weren't even his best things. Mama wouldn't let him go out here in those.\n\n“It's just...aw, shoot. Look, I'll tell you later. Hey, Joe.”\n\n“You done helping your grandpa?” asked the striped tabby. He dressed in even less than Noah, with no shirt to go with his overalls. Only then did he notice Max. It took no time at all to look the new kitten over, and then Joe's lips twisted in a sneer. “Hey, I didn't know it was time for church. The church running today, Bobby Floyd?”\n\nThe pudgy raccoon behind Joe's shoulder—Bobby Floyd, no doubt—shook his head. “Nope. Church runs on Sunday.”\n\n“Easy, Joe,” said Noah. He held out a placating paw. “This here's Max. His family's going to live at the Wilkins place.”\n\n“The Wilkins place? Zeke Wilkins moves to the county seat and this is who we get living there instead?” Joe turned his head and spat. “Don't want no city boys moving in there.”\n\n“Now, I know you're still put out about that, but you can't—“ Noah began. \n\n“Who says I can't?” Joe brushed past Noah's arm and stepped right up to Max. “If Zeke were still here, I'd fight him for leaving. But he's not, so you'll have to do.”\n\nNoah sighed. “Joe, if you whup the new boy, Granpa's gonna whup [i]me[/i].” Despite his protests, he didn't move to stop Joe.\n\nMax understood. He wouldn't step in between a friend and a newcomer, either. Besides, while he didn't think much of Joe's clothing or town, he could understand his feelings. He couldn't do much about having to move, but a good fight might help. He turned, carefully set his bag of candy out of the way, then rolled up his sleeves, took a fighting stance just like in the movie reels.\n\nJoe took one look at Max's pose and laughed. “Hoo boy. This won't take long.”\n\nHe was right. A moment later, Max stood above Joe, shirttails untucked and fur mussed. But he had won. \n\nJoe pushed up on one arm and peered up at Max, who took his fighting stance again. But to his surprise, the kitten laughed and rubbed the side of his muzzle. “You hit harder than Zeke did. You might not be so bad. I feel better, at least.”\n\nTo his surprise, Max felt better as well. He gave Joe a helping hand up. “I've been in fights back home. You fight better than most of them.” Then, he remembered his candy, retrieved the bag and held it out to the cat and raccoon. “Want some?”\n\n“Yup,” said Bobby Floyd.\n\nMinutes later, the group of boys were walking towards the farm where Joe's family lived. A black-and-white spotted dog ran up and leaped around Joe, barking joyfully. \n\n“Down, Rex!” Joe scratched lightly between Rex's ears, and the dog ran off again, tongue lolling out. “We've got Rex to help keep the cows in line, but he's still young. He mostly likes to play.”\n\n“Kind of like Joe,” said Noah, which drew laughs from all.\n\nAs the boys passed a fence, a horse came trotting alongside. Max trailed behind the pack of boys, and came to a stop at the fence, watching as the horse did, too.\n\nNoah looked back and noticed that Max had halted. “Never seen one up close?”\n\nMax shook his head. “No. Well, downtown, the policemen near the park have horses, but I can't just get that close. Mama never let me.” \n\nJoe grinned. “Here, then.” Before Max could say anything else, the cat grabbed his wrist and guided his paw to the horse's side. \n\nThe mare's side felt warm to the touch. “She's so pretty.” Max stroked along that supple flank for a moment, then pulled his paw back, laughing self-consciously. “I guess that's odd to say, huh?”\n\nBut Joe looked about ready to burst with pride. “You really think she's pretty? I raised her. I'm hoping she wins some ribbons at the county fair this year.”\n\n“My father will want to hear all about it, I bet. He writes books about towns like this. He'll want to hear everything he can about your farm.”\n\nNoah laughed. “I remember your pa. He asked a lot of questions when he came by in March. Hey, lets go to your barn, Joe. There'll be some shade.”\n\nSo the boys led Max past a brood of scratching and clucking hens, around the faded red side of the barn. The lower portion of the barn was dimly lit, save for a shaft of light from a high-up window and the light coming in from the partially-opened double doors that they slipped in through. Past the pens and tools was a narrow ladder. “All right, Max. We're going up into the loft,” said Noah.\n\nMax looked upwards. It seemed so high, and the narrow ladder leading up didn't look too safe. But he glanced back at Noah, Joe, and Bobby Floyd. He couldn't act chicken in front of his new friends, and so up he climbed.\n\nThe loft held all the signs that the boys spent plenty of time here. There were little treasures strewn about—here a domino, there a faded and well-worn scrap of one of the funny books Max and his friends used to buy at the corner store. Little piles of hay had boy-sized dents in their sides, clearly from past afternoons spent lounging.\n\n“Nice, isn't it?” said Noah, as he joined Max in the loft. “Ain't much to keep up here but hay, so we come up when we want some time to ourselves.” \n\nMax poked his head out of the little window at the top of the barn. From here, he could see that the land wasn't entirely flat, and that gentle hills here and there varied the landscape. He could smell something—wildflowers or sweet grass, or something else, mixed with the earthier scents of the livestock Joe's family kept. Though there were occasional patches of quiet in the city, this felt different, all private and relaxing. “I could get used to this,” the kitten said, purring contently as he turned and sank down onto the pile of hay.\n\n“Sure you can. A little work on your looks, and you'll fit right in,” said Joe, as he piled in.\n\nThe purring stopped. “What's wrong with how I look?” \n\n“Easy, there. Not trying to start another fight. It's probably nothing if you lived anywhere else. But out here...” Noah trailed off.\n\nBobby Floyd shook his head. “No good at all.”\n\nSo they were back to square one. Max's tail lashed, fur rising to make it an angry bottlebrush. “All right, I've had enough. I'm leaving.” \n\n“Hold on, there. We're not saying that we mind.” Noah caught Max's sleeve. \n\n“Much,” said Joe.\n\nNoah glared at the other cat. “Enough, Joe. It's just other people might think you're putting on airs or somesuch, Max.”\n\n“Like the Brewer twins,” added Bobby Floyd.\n\nJoe's ears flattened. “Especially them. They'll pick a fight with anyone if you give them any excuse. Looking like that is an awful good excuse. And they're bigger than any of us.”\n\nMax yanked his arm out of Noah's grip, but sat down, slowly. “Okay, I get it. You're trying to help. But all my clothes look like this. What's wrong with them? Help me fix it.”\n\nThe other three boys grew quiet. Joe looked at Bobby Floyd, who looked towards Noah, each looking reluctant to get specific with criticisms. Finally, the skunk turned back towards Max. “It's your shoes.” Both Joe and Bobby Floyd immediately nodded their agreement. \n\nMax looked downwards. “What's wrong with them?” Except for dust from the road through town, they looked brand new. He even had his knee socks worn just right, tugged up to the legs of his knickerbockers.\n\nJoe let out a huff of exasperation. “What aren't any of us wearing?” The kitten lifted a foot and waggled bare toes at Max.\n\n“Oh.” Max hadn't really thought hard about it after meeting Noah, but all three country boys were barefoot. “Is that a big deal?”\n\n“The biggest,” Noah said. “None of the boys around here wear shoes until around October, except to church. Some families just plain can't afford 'em. You wear those, and you'll stick out like a sore thumb.”\n\n“People like the Brewers might see it like you think you're better'n everyone else. Even if you don't feel like that,” added Joe.\n\n“Well, I don't.” Max felt a pang of guilt at the lie, since he'd thought exactly that when he first laid eyes on Noah. But he swallowed the feeling down, stooped down, and worked off his shoes and socks. After, he stood, footpads naked against the rough planks of the loft floor. “Better?”\n\n“A little,” said Bobby Floyd, though he didn't sound quite like he meant it.\n\n“Yeah, but it's still...” Joe crept around Max, looking the other cat up and down. “Missing something.”\n\nMax rolled his eyes. “What it's missing is my shoes, duh.” He felt his exasperation begin to rise again.\n\n“You're right!” \n\nThree pairs of eyes looked incredulously on the skunk after that exclamation. “I am?” asked Max.\n\nNoah nodded. “Everything you wore worked great together. So, with one thing missing, you look...well, undressed.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully with a finger. “What can we do...oh!” He leaned over and whispered in Joe's ear. \n\nThe striped cat's expression went from confused to a fang-filled smile. “Got it! Be right back,” Joe said, as he scrambled down the ladder. \n\n“Where's he going?” asked Max. \n\n“You'll see,” said Noah. The skunk leaned in and murmured to Bobby Floyd, who let out a laugh and glanced at Max.\n\n“All right, don't tell me, then,” the cat muttered. He went back to looking out the loft window, using the scenery to alleviate his irritation. He just hoped this wouldn't turn out to be some elaborate gag.\n\nJoe didn't take long. He came back, running as fast as when he left. He tossed something up into the loft.\n\nMax glanced at the pile of cloth on the floor as Joe climbed up the ladder. “What're those?”\n\nJoe lifted the garment proudly. “Overalls! It's my extra pair. You can borrow 'em for now. I expect your pa'll wanna get you a pair for yourself.” \n\nMax examined them. The denim was...clean, mostly. A little dusty, perhaps, from being tossed onto the floor. “Do I have to wear it without a shirt like you, too?” he asked.\n\n“Naw. Who's gonna worry about something like a shirt?” asked Joe.\n\nMax's muzzle worked, but he couldn't find a response to dignify that. Finally, he just nodded. “All right. I guess I'll give it a try.” He stood there, waiting for the other boys to go down the ladder. “Well?” he finally said.\n\n“Well, what?” asked Bobby Floyd.\n\n“I need to change.”\n\n“So change,” replied Bobby.\n\n“Well, can't I get some privacy?”\n\nThe other three boys looked at Max. They looked at each other. Then they burst into laughter. “Why?” asked Joe, as they began to quiet down again. “We're all boys.”\n\nNoah's smile faded when he saw Max's frown. “Sorry. I guess it's a little different where you come from. We're used to skinny dipping at the swimming hole and everything, so I guess we don't get hung up about undressing around each other.”\n\n“Oh,” said Max. “Well...I don't care then. It's no big deal.” That was a lie. But he wouldn't let them see him scared. He took hold of the overalls and began to loosen his suspenders, though he took his time in an effort to delay the inevitable display of his lower half. \n\nNoah seemed to notice how slowly Max was stripping down. “Look, we'll turn around, okay? I guess even at the swimming hole, it's not like you'd have all of us just staring at you.” He turned around, as did Bobby Floyd. Joe turned, too, after a firm elbowing from Noah.\n\nThat took some of the pressure off Max. He dropped his pants and stepped into the overalls. He somehow managed to get the garment on backwards the first time, but a second attempt got his legs in the right holes. Next came the shoulder straps, but Max couldn't quite get them situated right. He let out a little hiss of exasperation, then turned towards Noah. “Can you help me with this?” he asked the skunk.\n\nNoah turned and smiled at Max. “Sure. Here, you just have to tug on it like...this,” he said, tightening the strap over Max's right shoulder. “You do the other.” \n\nMax fiddled a little more with his left shoulder strap, trying not to think about how Noah could probably see right down into the overalls while the straps were loose. With Noah's instructions, though, he soon got everything tightened just so. “There. So, how do I look?” he asked, holding out his arms and putting himself on display.\n\nJoe and Bobby Floyd turned around. Their silent scrutiny made Max nervous, but then Bobby Flloyd nodded. “Better.”\n\n“I bet we could convince my mama that she had two boy kittens instead of just one, with you wearing those,” Joe said, with a big grin.\n\n“Now we just gotta take you snipe hunting, and you'll be proper countrified,” said Bobby Floyd, with a little laugh.\n\nMax laughed. “A snipe hunt, huh? My dad got taken on one of those, once.” The expressions on the other three boys went from sly smiling to surprise as Max continued. “He made it into a scene in one of his books. So, you're not going to get me to fall for that one.”\n\nNoah smiled. “Okay, you caught us. No snipe hunting. But we could sleep out under the stars tonight. It's good weather for that tonight.”\n\nMax's ears perked upright. “I've never done that,” he said. Though he'd never given the idea any though before, he found that he wanted to try it. \n\n“Then it's settled,” said Noah.\n\n“Wait. I'll have to ask my parents,” said Max. He gave it another moment's thought. “Maybe just my father. They only sent me out to play for a little while.”\n\n“Well, then you better go ask your pa,” said Noah. \n\n“You can come eat with my family, if you want,” said Joe. “Mama's never turned anyone away from her table.”\n\nMax smiled. “Yeah. I'll go ask, then. Back soon.” He went to the ladder and scrambled down. \n\n“Now, what are we gonna do while we wait for him to get back?” came Joe's voice as Max padded out of the barn and into the warm sunshine. The kitten padded away from the faint laughter he heard there, past the field with the horse, and towards the road. And there, he froze. He'd left his shoes and pants up in the hayloft, and his mother would surely get angry at that. And if she were mad, he could say goodbye to his chances of sleeping out with his friends. He scurried right back into the barn.\n\n“...thought we weren't gonna get to do this today,” came Bobby Floyd's voice from the loft.\n\n“What are we gonna do if he won't let us him stripped?” asked Joe. \n\n“I hope he'll get used to it. Be just like having Zeke back. And we got time for a little fun, at least,” said Noah. His voice sounded funny, a little tight, tense, and Joe responded with a breathy-sounding giggle.\n\nMax's tail lashed behind him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but [i]something [/i]was happening, that was clear. Something secret, which automatically made it something exciting. He crept up the ladder as silently as a cat can be. He folded his ears back so they wouldn't give him away, and peeked into the loft. He immediately decided he'd made a mistake in coming back.\n\nEveryone still sat around the loft, but that's the only thing that seemed unchanged from when Max had been in there. Clothes were strewn about, with each boy in varied states of undress, from Joe, who had shucked his overalls entirely and wore only his straw hat, to Bobby Floyd, who had merely drawn down the zipper of his overalls; though each boy had exposed themselves in different ways, all were erect, and each boy held someone else's dick. Despite his sudden rush of uncomfortable feelings, Max found himself unable to look away.\n\nIt was Bobby Floyd who noticed first. He stopped, released Joe's prick, and pointed. “Hey!” \n\nNoah looked over his shoulder, and when his eyes met Max's, they widened. “Max!” \n\nMax's ears, already set back, somehow managed to plaster tighter to his skull. “S-sorry,” he mumbled. “Just wanted to get my...my...” His voice died out, and flight won out over fight, and he lifted a shaky foot from its rung, ready to leave.. \n\nSwiftly, Noah reached out and caught the collar of Max's shirt. “Wait! Don't.”\n\nMax almost missed his rung, one leg dangling in the air as his claws dug into the wood of the ladder, As he pulled himself close again, he braced himself for the punch that was sure to follow.\n\nBut it didn't come. Instead, Max saw worry, not anger, on Noah's face. “Are you okay, Max?” asked Noah. “You're not going to tell, are you? If you tell my grandpa he'll tan our hides.”\n\nMax shook his head no. “I won't tell.” He didn't answer the first question, since he wasn't sure if he was okay or not. Quieter, he said, “Um, what [i]are [/i]you doing?”\n\nJoe let out a little laugh. “Hooboy.” \n\nNoah glared over his shoulder at Joe. “Will you be quiet?” He turned back to Max, this time with a friendly smile on his face. “You wanna come back up, Max? We could show you, if you want.”\n\nMax hesitated. Though he wasn't dangling anymore, he still had one foot hovering over open air. \n\nHis toes found the next highest rung and pushed him further up. \n\nNoah's smile broadened. “Great! Have a seat next to me.” The skunk sat beside Max. “I guess you're not gonna keep those overalls for long, after all. Go ahead and pull 'em down.” \n\nMax felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. But he'd gone back up the ladder, and he wouldn't run now. “All right, I guess,” mumbled Max, as he worked the straps off his shoulders. \n\n“It's okay. It's just like what we were telling you about the swimming hole. Everyone can see everyone else.” It seemed like Noah was telling the truth. In fact, Joe had already uncovered his erection again, and what stiffness he lost from the shock of being peeped on returned, pink length bobbing its way back to an erection.\n\nWhen Max hesitated at tugging the bib of his overalls down, Noah reached over. “Here, I'll help,” the skunk murmured. \n\nMax stared, lips parted slightly, as Noah eased the overalls past his thighs. Dimly, he realized that he was panting as hard as if he were running. This felt different. This was something more than just stripping bare. And then, Noah had him out in the open air, where everyone could see.\n\nBobby Floyd whistled low. “Not bad. Beats Joe out, at least.” \n\nJoe reached over and punched Bobby Floyd's shoulder. “Size ain't everything! Doesn't stop you from grabbing at it.”\n\n“Nope, it doesn't,” said Bobby Floyd, who reached over at that and got his paw around Joe's prick. “See?”\n\nMax sure did see. His erection—he'd been hard since before he'd even agreed to come back into the loft—twitched. And then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head suddenly, and found himself nearly nose-to-nose with Noah.\n\n“You look worried. No one's gonna hurt you,” the skunk said. “And it's okay to look. Even better if you wanna touch.” Noah smiled. “You really never done anything like this? Not even by yourself?”\n\n“Not even then.”\n\nThe skunk grinned, teeth bright white among the black fur that made up his muzzle. “You're missing out. Let me show you.” He reached for Max, guided him down onto the hay, then took the cat's penis in hand.\n\nThe pads on Noah's hands were warm, and just a little moist from the heat. The feel of that hand on his arousal was electric, and made Max feel woozy from the sudden rush of pleasure. And then the stroking stared. Max let out a mewl that sounded both plaintive and eager all at once.\n\nJoe laughed, making his paw jitter on Bobby Floyd's erection mid-stroke. “Aw, listen to you.”\n\nBobby Floyd shook his head. “C'mon, Joe, rub it right. I don't got all day. Anyways, you should listen to Joe when he shoots. It's a hoot.”\n\n“Bobby Floyd,” whined Joe. “You promised not to make fun about that.”\n\nThe exchange was lost on Max, who couldn't quite follow. “Shoot what?” he murmured dimly, but no one answered him. For a few moments, the only noises in the room was the sound of flesh and fur rubbing together, mingled with soft panting. The loft was small enough for legs to intermingle, Max's feet rubbing against Joe's and Bobby Floyd's, feeling the toughness of their footpads as his toes wiggled and curled from pleasure. The contact provided an extra little thrill, turning his experience with Noah into something he shared with his three new friends.\n\nMax felt a sort of tingle building, a warmth that seemed to spread over his groin, and he breathed faster, harder. He felt like he needed to find a bathroom and pee, but he kept telling himself he'd ask Noah after one more stroke, one more squeeze. The skunk knew what to do to him to make him feel good, and Max didn't want him to stop. \n\nAnd then, something happened. Max wasn't sure that it was supposed to happen, but it seemed to be what his body wanted. It felt a little like a full-body sneeze, or the warm rush after a good stretch. His dick twitched in Noah's paw, so stiff it seemed to ache, and Max stared, fascinated, as a few drops of pearly white spattered his stomach and the hem of his shirt, a final bead of the stuff clinging to the tip of his penis as Noah's fingers seemed to wring it out of him. \n\nIt must've been something that was supposed to happen, he decided, because after a moment, Joe's dick did the same thing. When the other kitten shot that stuff on his stomach, he let out a few low, strangled mrowling sounds of pleasure that made Max's shoulder shake with silent laughter, even as he came off his own peak.\n\n“Don't—laugh,” Joe managed to choke out. A moment later, Joe went back to work on Bobby Floyd's erection, and soon the raccoon's chubby dick had made a larger mess of his own, accompanied by a quiet grunt of pleasure.\n\nMax lay back on the hay for a moment, breathing hard. His stomach still felt fluttery inside. He'd let Noah touch him [i]there[/i]. And everyone else had seen it. But it had felt so good! A thought occurred to him, and he turned his head to regard Noah. “Do I do it to you now?” he asked. He looked down at the skunk's hardon, neglected during his lesson on pleasure and shiny-slick at the tip.\n\nNoah laughed, but it sounded like a noise of delight, not derision. “Do you want to?”\n\n“I—“\n\n“Joseph! You up there? Mama needs some help at the house,” came a voice from downstairs. \n\n“It's Lucy!” hissed Joe. “Everyone get dressed.” \n\nThe boys wiggled into their clothes just in time, because a head soon peeked up into the hayloft, a slightly older, female version of Joe. “Here you are. Come on, 'less you want to go hungry at dinnertime.” \n\n“I'll help, Joe,” said Noah. He gave Max a little squeeze on the shoulder. “We'll talk about it more later. You're gonna come back, right?”\n\n“Yeah. I will,” promised Max. He wanted to, more than ever. He had a lot of questions for his new friends. He'd just make sure to ask Father instead of Mother.\n\nMinutes later, Max was walking down the road again, knickerbockers over one arm, shoes held in the other, and his remaining candy tucked into the bib pocket of his borrowed overalls. Lucy had confirmed that her mama would want to have him over for a welcoming dinner, just as Joe had predicted, so he had two good reasons to go back to Joe's farm. \n\nThe heat didn't seem as bothersome on the way back, and though his bare feet were tender and unused to walking so far, his toes found little piles of dust on the road, as well as tall, tickly grass at the side of the road to delight in. He hummed cheerfully to himself as he made his way back towards his family's new home. He'd expected to be left alone here in the country, but instead had already made three friends to get in trouble with. \n\nAnd it was only June! Plenty of time to explore life in the country. Max had all summer to look forward to. \n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Max glanced up at the sky, but saw not a single cloud there to break up the blue. It'd be hot out for sure, and shade was scarce. All around, the land stretched flat. It wasn't like back home, where he could laze beneath big oaks and elms in the park.

He looked to either side; corn to the left, wheat to the right—maybe the other way around. It all looked the same to him. It was a ten minute walk, thereabouts, from the farmhouse to the center of town, about, and already the scenery bored Max. The kitten sighed and trudged down the road.

“Go and explore the town,” Father had said, but Max knew that there would be little to explore. Here there was plenty of land to play in, but few trees—or anything else, for that matter. There were fewer homes in the entire town than on his block back home. Here instead of stately brownstones, there were clapboard homes, and even on those the paint had long worn thin.

What Father had wanted was to get Max out of earshot while he and Mama argued. But they had argued plenty back in the city, and here Mama hated things even more. Max kicked up a little cloud of dust from the dirt road, then cursed under his breath and patted his knickers clean as he walked. Mama would be furious if he got them dirty, especially since she was in a mood. And though Max sided with Mama on this particular argument with Father, he would still earn himself some scolding if he came home dirty.

By the time Max looked up from his fussing with his clothes, the town lay just ahead. “This is our dream home?” he murmured to himself. Father's dream, maybe; the town resembled any one of the little country places Father wrote about in his books. Walking closer to the little row of buildings, he could see how worn everything looked even easier than he could from the car. The reality didn't match up to the way the books described things.

There it was. Max saw the sign for the general store; that's where he wanted to go. He touched the pennies in his pocket, the bribe that got him out of the house with no arguments. At least he could celebrate his first day here with some candy. Not that he felt like celebrating.

The door's tinkling little bell gave the same cheerful tone as in Max's favorite candy store back home. But that seemed like the only similarity. He passed a barrel full of crackers, bolts of cloth waiting to be sewn, cans of food; while stores at home usually sold one thing or another, this store had a little of everything in a small space. He forgot his homesickness while examining the shelves, interest setting his tail a-flicker.

“Good afternoon!”

Max jumped, startled out of his exploration of the store. Out of the back room came a skunk. He was so old that much of his black fur looked a little faded at the tips, and long whiskers hung from either side of his grizzled muzzle. Max turned away from the shelf he was examining and towards the older male. “Hi,” he murmured, tail held straight behind him and still as shyness seized it, save for a shiver at its very tip.

“Not from around here, are you?” asked the old skunk, as he squinted at Max. He paused thoughtfully, then laughed. “Well, you must be up at the old Wilkins farm. Slipped my mind that you'd be arriving this week.” said the old skunk. He stepped out from behind the counter and offered Max a shake with a calloused paw. “You've got your father's coloration. I'm Noah Hatcher, but everyone calls me Big Noah. Little Noah'd be my grandson. He's about your age.”

Max shook the hand. Big Noah's grip felt strong enough to make his fingers ache. “It's good to meet you, sir,” he said, flexing his fingers in relief after Big Noah released that strong grip. Max dropped his hand into his pocket and drew out the coins. “I wanted to buy some candy, please.”

The skunk's muzzle split into a smile, teeth startlingly white compared to even the faded parts of the shopkeeper's black fur. “I got what you want, then. Here, up by the counter.” A large paw pressed on Max's shoulders and guided the kitten towards his sweet goal.

Up at the counter were a handful of candy barrels. Max felt a twinge of homesickness again. He saw no taffy in its waxed wrapping. No chocolate wrapped in foil. He saw peanut brittle, horehound candy, some other things he couldn't identify; it felt a far cry from the selection he used to see at home. He did his best to hide his disappointment and smiled at Big Noah. “I can't decide. Can you pick out the best candy?”

“Of course.” Big Noah smiled, set a sack on a scale, and began to add candy to the bag, picking and choosing things from several barrels. “And...here we go. A nickel's worth of candy, and maybe a little extra.”

Max's watched with wide, unbelieving eyes. Maybe the selection wasn't as good as at home, but the skunk had weighed out much more candy than he could have gotten there. He smiled when Big Noah slid the bag forward, and clutched the sack as if afraid that the skunk would want it back. And then, the smile faded when the shopkeeper nudged the pennies back towards Max as well. “Mister, I have to pay.”

“You're absolutely right,” said Big Noah, as he looked down at the kitten. “Or would be, on any day but this. It's my way of saying welcome to ya.”

Max smiled genuinely for the first time that day. “Thank you! Thank you very much, Mister.”

“Big Noah's will do fine when talking to me,” the shopkeeper said. “When you see your pa, tell him I'm hoping he'll come set for a spell. Met him when he came to look at the Wilkins place. Interesting fella to talk to.”

“Thank you again.” Max started to turn towards the door. As quickly as it had come, his good mood was fading. He was wealthy now, with plenty of candy and five pennies to keep. But he knew he'd just walk in to an argument, this soon after leaving. Where could he go with his riches?

Big Noah supplied Max with an answer. As the store's door again opened and rang the bell, the skunk came out from behind the counter. “Hold on a minute. Let me call my grandson. He can give you the tour of our town.” He laughed. “Such as it is. But I'm sure you'll want to meet some people your own age.” He turned towards the back of the store. “Noah! Come on out here.”

“What is it, Grandpa?” came a voice, one belonging to someone more Max's age. Out of the back poked a head, the very image of what Big Noah must've looked like some fifty years ago.

“Come out here and meet, ah...”

“Max.”

“Max. This here's Little Noah. Noah, his family's going to be fixing up the Wilkins place. How about you show him around? I'll finish up with your chores.”

Little Noah stepped into the room. He was almost a head taller than Max, and could have been the spitting image of Big Noah, only fifty years younger. “Oh. Ah...pleased to meet you, Max,” he says. The skunk's eyes took in Max's clothes, from his clean white shirt and cap to his well-polished shoes. He didn't seem impressed.

Max didn't understand why Little Noah looked at his clothes so oddly. What he wore looked finer than the skunk's dust-smudged overalls and bare feet. Still, he faked a smile. The skunk had to make nice because his grandfather told him to, and he had to make nice because of the free candy. Neither could refuse. “Thanks,” he said to the elder skunk, with as much sincerity as he could mange.

“You're welcome. Now, skedaddle. I've got tidying up to do here.” Big Noah shooed the boys out of the store.

“Come on. This won't take long,” Little Noah said, as he stepped out onto the store's porch.

“Sure,” Max said. Part of him wanted to simply be left alone. But this gave him a way to pass the time, if nothing else. He rummaged into his bag of candy, glanced at his new companion, and instead offered the bag to Little Noah. “You want some?”

Noah glanced down at the little paper sack, then back up at Max's face. For a moment Max thought that the skunk would refuse. But then Noah smiled the same brilliant smile his grandfather showed, something more genuine than Max had just offered up in the store. “Thanks.” He popped a pieceinto his muzzle. “The horehound candy's the best. My gramma made those. But I usually only get to have one a week. You're all right.”

They were going to get along. Max felt relieved. In the city, a lone kitten could get bullied a lot, and he had no reason to think it'd be much different in the country. A friend could make things more bearable. “So, uh...what's there to see around here, anyways?”

Noah looked over at Max. “To see? Well, for fancy city folk, probably nothing. But...come on.” He stepped off the porch to the general store and onto the dirt road, leading Max towards the far side of town.

“That there's the church. We just built that two years ago. It's the only one around, unless you want to go to Summerville down the road a ways.”

Max nodded. Of course, the steeple made the building's purpose obvious enough. “And that one over there?” he asked, pointing to a small building, smaller than the general store even.

“That's the school.” When he saw the skeptical look on Max's face, he laughed. “It's a little small, huh? It's just two teachers for all of us kids.”

Max shook his head. His old school had been made of brick and three floors big, not such a small thing. “I can't believe it.”

Noah grinned. “We only one teacher until last year. We're getting bigger.” He pointed a paw. “That's where most of the adults go to drink if they don't feel like drinking at home.”

“It's...nice.”

“You really think so?” Noah looked over at Max. “No, I can see you don't, not really.” He let out a little sigh. “Can't say I blame you. Grandpa took me into the big city for my birthday this year. It's like a different world there.” He came to a stop. “I should probably warn you. Some people around here might get sensitive if they think you're looking down your nose on the town. Especially, well...especially looking the way you do.”

“What's wrong with the way I look?” said Maxwell, looking down at his clothes. They weren't even his best things. Mama wouldn't let him go out here in those.

“It's just...aw, shoot. Look, I'll tell you later. Hey, Joe.”

“You done helping your grandpa?” asked the striped tabby. He dressed in even less than Noah, with no shirt to go with his overalls. Only then did he notice Max. It took no time at all to look the new kitten over, and then Joe's lips twisted in a sneer. “Hey, I didn't know it was time for church. The church running today, Bobby Floyd?”

The pudgy raccoon behind Joe's shoulder—Bobby Floyd, no doubt—shook his head. “Nope. Church runs on Sunday.”

“Easy, Joe,” said Noah. He held out a placating paw. “This here's Max. His family's going to live at the Wilkins place.”

“The Wilkins place? Zeke Wilkins moves to the county seat and this is who we get living there instead?” Joe turned his head and spat. “Don't want no city boys moving in there.”

“Now, I know you're still put out about that, but you can't—“ Noah began.

“Who says I can't?” Joe brushed past Noah's arm and stepped right up to Max. “If Zeke were still here, I'd fight him for leaving. But he's not, so you'll have to do.”

Noah sighed. “Joe, if you whup the new boy, Granpa's gonna whup me.” Despite his protests, he didn't move to stop Joe.

Max understood. He wouldn't step in between a friend and a newcomer, either. Besides, while he didn't think much of Joe's clothing or town, he could understand his feelings. He couldn't do much about having to move, but a good fight might help. He turned, carefully set his bag of candy out of the way, then rolled up his sleeves, took a fighting stance just like in the movie reels.

Joe took one look at Max's pose and laughed. “Hoo boy. This won't take long.”

He was right. A moment later, Max stood above Joe, shirttails untucked and fur mussed. But he had won.

Joe pushed up on one arm and peered up at Max, who took his fighting stance again. But to his surprise, the kitten laughed and rubbed the side of his muzzle. “You hit harder than Zeke did. You might not be so bad. I feel better, at least.”

To his surprise, Max felt better as well. He gave Joe a helping hand up. “I've been in fights back home. You fight better than most of them.” Then, he remembered his candy, retrieved the bag and held it out to the cat and raccoon. “Want some?”

“Yup,” said Bobby Floyd.

Minutes later, the group of boys were walking towards the farm where Joe's family lived. A black-and-white spotted dog ran up and leaped around Joe, barking joyfully.

“Down, Rex!” Joe scratched lightly between Rex's ears, and the dog ran off again, tongue lolling out. “We've got Rex to help keep the cows in line, but he's still young. He mostly likes to play.”

“Kind of like Joe,” said Noah, which drew laughs from all.

As the boys passed a fence, a horse came trotting alongside. Max trailed behind the pack of boys, and came to a stop at the fence, watching as the horse did, too.

Noah looked back and noticed that Max had halted. “Never seen one up close?”

Max shook his head. “No. Well, downtown, the policemen near the park have horses, but I can't just get that close. Mama never let me.”

Joe grinned. “Here, then.” Before Max could say anything else, the cat grabbed his wrist and guided his paw to the horse's side.

The mare's side felt warm to the touch. “She's so pretty.” Max stroked along that supple flank for a moment, then pulled his paw back, laughing self-consciously. “I guess that's odd to say, huh?”

But Joe looked about ready to burst with pride. “You really think she's pretty? I raised her. I'm hoping she wins some ribbons at the county fair this year.”

“My father will want to hear all about it, I bet. He writes books about towns like this. He'll want to hear everything he can about your farm.”

Noah laughed. “I remember your pa.  He asked a lot of questions when he came by in March. Hey, lets go to your barn, Joe. There'll be some shade.”

So the boys led Max past a brood of scratching and clucking hens, around the faded red side of the barn. The lower portion of the barn was dimly lit, save for a shaft of light from a high-up window and the light coming in from the partially-opened double doors that they slipped in through. Past the pens and tools was a narrow ladder. “All right, Max. We're going up into the loft,” said Noah.

Max looked upwards. It seemed so high, and the narrow ladder leading up didn't look too safe. But he glanced back at Noah, Joe, and Bobby Floyd. He couldn't act chicken in front of his new friends, and so up he climbed.

The loft held all the signs that the boys spent plenty of time here. There were little treasures strewn about—here a domino, there a faded and well-worn scrap of one of the funny books Max and his friends used to buy at the corner store. Little piles of hay had boy-sized dents in their sides, clearly from past afternoons spent lounging.

“Nice, isn't it?” said Noah, as he joined Max in the loft. “Ain't much to keep up here but hay, so we come up when we want some time to ourselves.”

Max poked his head out of the little window at the top of the barn. From here, he could see that the land wasn't entirely flat, and that gentle hills here and there varied the landscape. He could smell something—wildflowers or sweet grass, or something else, mixed with the earthier scents of the livestock Joe's family kept. Though there were occasional patches of quiet in the city, this felt different, all private and relaxing. “I could get used to this,” the kitten said, purring contently as he turned and sank down onto the pile of hay.

“Sure you can. A little work on your looks, and you'll fit right in,” said Joe, as he piled in.

The purring stopped. “What's wrong with how I look?”

“Easy, there. Not trying to start another fight. It's probably nothing if you lived anywhere else. But out here...” Noah trailed off.

Bobby Floyd shook his head. “No good at all.”

So they were back to square one. Max's tail lashed, fur rising to make it an angry bottlebrush. “All right, I've had enough. I'm leaving.”

“Hold on, there. We're not saying that we mind.” Noah caught Max's sleeve.

“Much,” said Joe.

Noah glared at the other cat. “Enough, Joe. It's just other people might think you're putting on airs or somesuch, Max.”

“Like the Brewer twins,” added Bobby Floyd.

Joe's ears flattened. “Especially them. They'll pick a fight with anyone if you give them any excuse. Looking like that is an awful good excuse. And they're bigger than any of us.”

Max yanked his arm out of Noah's grip, but sat down, slowly. “Okay, I get it. You're trying to help. But all my clothes look like this. What's wrong with them? Help me fix it.”

The other three boys grew quiet. Joe looked at Bobby Floyd, who looked towards Noah, each looking reluctant to get specific with criticisms. Finally, the skunk turned back towards Max. “It's your shoes.” Both Joe and Bobby Floyd immediately nodded their agreement.

Max looked downwards. “What's wrong with them?” Except for dust from the road through town, they looked brand new. He even had his knee socks worn just right, tugged up to the legs of his knickerbockers.

Joe let out a huff of exasperation. “What aren't any of us wearing?” The kitten lifted a foot and waggled bare toes at Max.

“Oh.” Max hadn't really thought hard about it after meeting Noah, but all three country boys were barefoot. “Is that a big deal?”

“The biggest,” Noah said. “None of the boys around here wear shoes until around October, except to church. Some families just plain can't afford 'em. You wear those, and you'll stick out like a sore thumb.”

“People like the Brewers might see it like you think you're better'n everyone else. Even if you don't feel like that,” added Joe.

“Well, I don't.” Max felt a pang of guilt at the lie, since he'd thought exactly that when he first laid eyes on Noah.  But he swallowed the feeling down, stooped down, and worked off his shoes and socks. After, he stood, footpads naked against the rough planks of the loft floor. “Better?”

“A little,” said Bobby Floyd, though he didn't sound quite like he meant it.

“Yeah, but it's still...” Joe crept around Max, looking the other cat up and down. “Missing something.”

Max rolled his eyes. “What it's missing is my shoes, duh.” He felt his exasperation begin to rise again.

“You're right!”  

Three pairs of eyes looked incredulously on the skunk after that exclamation. “I am?” asked Max.

Noah nodded. “Everything you wore worked great together. So, with one thing missing, you look...well, undressed.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully with a finger. “What can we do...oh!” He leaned over and whispered in Joe's ear.

The striped cat's expression went from confused to a fang-filled smile. “Got it! Be right back,” Joe said, as he scrambled down the ladder.

“Where's he going?” asked Max.

“You'll see,” said Noah. The skunk leaned in and murmured to Bobby Floyd, who let out a laugh and glanced at Max.

“All right, don't tell me, then,” the cat muttered. He went back to looking out the loft window, using the scenery to alleviate his irritation. He just hoped this wouldn't turn out to be some elaborate gag.

Joe didn't take long. He came back, running as fast as when he left. He tossed something up into the loft.

Max glanced at the pile of cloth on the floor as Joe climbed up the ladder. “What're those?”

Joe lifted the garment proudly. “Overalls! It's my extra pair. You can borrow 'em for now. I expect your pa'll wanna get you a pair for yourself.”

Max examined them. The denim was...clean, mostly. A little dusty, perhaps, from being tossed onto the floor. “Do I have to wear it without a shirt like you, too?” he asked.

“Naw. Who's gonna worry about something like a shirt?” asked Joe.

Max's muzzle worked, but he couldn't find a response to dignify that. Finally, he just nodded. “All right. I guess I'll give it a try.” He stood there, waiting for the other boys to go down the ladder. “Well?” he finally said.

“Well, what?” asked Bobby Floyd.

“I need to change.”

“So change,” replied Bobby.

“Well, can't I get some privacy?”

The other three boys looked at Max. They looked at each other. Then they burst into laughter. “Why?” asked Joe, as they began to quiet down again. “We're all boys.”

Noah's smile faded when he saw Max's frown. “Sorry. I guess it's a little different where you come from. We're used to skinny dipping at the swimming hole and everything, so I guess we don't get hung up about undressing around each other.”

“Oh,” said Max. “Well...I don't care then. It's no big deal.” That was a lie. But he wouldn't let them see him scared. He took hold of the overalls and began to loosen his suspenders, though he took his time in an effort to delay the inevitable display of his lower half.

Noah seemed to notice how slowly Max was stripping down. “Look, we'll turn around, okay? I guess even at the swimming hole, it's not like you'd have all of us just staring at you.” He turned around, as did Bobby Floyd. Joe turned, too, after a firm elbowing from Noah.

That took some of the pressure off Max. He dropped his pants and stepped into the overalls. He somehow managed to get the garment on backwards the first time, but a second attempt got his legs in the right holes. Next came the shoulder straps, but Max couldn't quite get them situated right. He let out a little hiss of exasperation, then turned towards Noah. “Can you help me with this?” he asked the skunk.

Noah turned and smiled at Max. “Sure. Here, you just have to tug on it like...this,” he said, tightening the strap over Max's right shoulder. “You do the other.”

Max fiddled a little more with his left shoulder strap, trying not to think about how Noah could probably see right down into the overalls while the straps were loose. With Noah's instructions, though, he soon got everything tightened just so. “There. So, how do I look?” he asked, holding out his arms and putting himself on display.

Joe and Bobby Floyd turned around. Their silent scrutiny made Max nervous, but then Bobby Flloyd nodded. “Better.”

“I bet we could convince my mama that she had two boy kittens instead of just one, with you wearing those,” Joe said, with a big grin.

“Now we just gotta take you snipe hunting, and you'll be proper countrified,” said Bobby Floyd, with a little laugh.

Max laughed. “A snipe hunt, huh? My dad got taken on one of those, once.” The expressions on the other three boys went from sly smiling to surprise as Max continued. “He made it into a scene in one of his books. So, you're not going to get me to fall for that one.”

Noah smiled. “Okay, you caught us. No snipe hunting. But we could sleep out under the stars tonight. It's good weather for that tonight.”

Max's ears perked upright. “I've never done that,” he said. Though he'd never given the idea any though before, he found that he wanted to try it.

“Then it's settled,” said Noah.

“Wait. I'll have to ask my parents,” said Max. He gave it another moment's thought. “Maybe just my father. They only sent me out to play for a little while.”

“Well, then you better go ask your pa,” said Noah.

“You can come eat with my family, if you want,” said Joe. “Mama's never turned anyone away from her table.”

Max smiled. “Yeah. I'll go ask, then. Back soon.” He went to the ladder and scrambled down.

“Now, what are we gonna do while we wait for him to get back?” came Joe's voice as Max padded out of the barn and into the warm sunshine. The kitten padded away from the faint laughter he heard there, past the field with the horse, and towards the road. And there, he froze. He'd left his shoes and pants up in the hayloft, and his mother would surely get angry at that. And if she were mad, he could say goodbye to his chances of sleeping out with his friends. He scurried right back into the barn.

“...thought we weren't gonna get to do this today,” came Bobby Floyd's voice from the loft.

“What are we gonna do if he won't let us him stripped?” asked Joe.

“I hope he'll get used to it. Be just like having Zeke back. And we got time for a little fun, at least,” said Noah. His voice sounded funny, a little tight, tense, and Joe responded with a breathy-sounding giggle.

Max's tail lashed behind him. He wasn't sure what was going on, but something was happening, that was clear. Something secret, which automatically made it something exciting. He crept up the ladder as silently as a cat can be. He folded his ears back so they wouldn't give him away, and peeked into the loft. He immediately decided he'd made a mistake in coming back.

Everyone still sat around the loft, but that's the only thing that seemed unchanged from when Max had been in there. Clothes were strewn about, with each boy in varied states of undress, from Joe, who had shucked his overalls entirely and wore only his straw hat, to Bobby Floyd, who had merely drawn down the zipper of his overalls; though each boy had exposed themselves in different ways, all were erect, and each boy held someone else's dick. Despite his sudden rush of uncomfortable feelings, Max found himself unable to look away.

It was Bobby Floyd who noticed first. He stopped, released Joe's prick, and pointed. “Hey!”

Noah looked over his shoulder, and when his eyes met Max's, they widened. “Max!”

Max's ears, already set back, somehow managed to plaster tighter to his skull. “S-sorry,” he mumbled. “Just wanted to get my...my...” His voice died out, and flight won out over fight, and he lifted a shaky foot from its rung, ready to leave..

Swiftly, Noah reached out and caught the collar of Max's shirt. “Wait! Don't.”

Max almost missed his rung, one leg dangling in the air as his claws dug into the wood of the ladder, As he pulled himself close again, he braced himself for the punch that was sure to follow.

But it didn't come. Instead, Max saw worry, not anger, on Noah's face. “Are you okay, Max?” asked Noah. “You're not going to tell, are you? If you tell my grandpa he'll tan our hides.”

Max shook his head no. “I won't tell.” He didn't answer the first question, since he wasn't sure if he was okay or not. Quieter, he said, “Um, what are you doing?”

Joe let out a little laugh. “Hooboy.”

Noah glared over his shoulder at Joe. “Will you be quiet?” He turned back to Max, this time with a friendly smile on his face. “You wanna come back up, Max? We could show you, if you want.”

Max hesitated. Though he wasn't dangling anymore, he still had one foot hovering over open air.

His toes found the next highest rung and pushed him further up.

Noah's smile broadened. “Great! Have a seat next to me.” The skunk sat beside Max. “I guess you're not gonna keep those overalls for long, after all. Go ahead and pull 'em down.”

Max felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. But he'd gone back up the ladder, and he wouldn't run now. “All right, I guess,” mumbled Max, as he worked the straps off his shoulders.

“It's okay. It's just like what we were telling you about the swimming hole. Everyone can see everyone else.” It seemed like Noah was telling the truth. In fact, Joe had already uncovered his erection again, and what stiffness he lost from the shock of being peeped on returned, pink length bobbing its way back to an erection.

When Max hesitated at tugging the bib of his overalls down, Noah reached over. “Here, I'll help,” the skunk murmured.

Max stared, lips parted slightly, as Noah eased the overalls past his thighs. Dimly, he realized that he was panting as hard as if he were running. This felt different. This was something more than just stripping bare. And then, Noah had him out in the open air, where everyone could see.

Bobby Floyd whistled low. “Not bad. Beats Joe out, at least.”

Joe reached over and punched Bobby Floyd's shoulder. “Size ain't everything! Doesn't stop you from grabbing at it.”

“Nope, it doesn't,” said Bobby Floyd, who reached over at that and got his paw around Joe's prick. “See?”

Max sure did see. His erection—he'd been hard since before he'd even agreed to come back into the loft—twitched. And then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head suddenly, and found himself nearly nose-to-nose with Noah.

“You look worried. No one's gonna hurt you,” the skunk said. “And it's okay to look. Even better if you wanna touch.” Noah smiled. “You really never done anything like this? Not even by yourself?”

“Not even then.”

The skunk grinned, teeth bright white among the black fur that made up his muzzle. “You're missing out. Let me show you.” He reached for Max, guided him down onto the hay, then took the cat's penis in hand.

The pads on Noah's hands were warm, and just a little moist from the heat. The feel of that hand on his arousal was electric, and made Max feel woozy from the sudden rush of pleasure. And then the stroking stared. Max let out a mewl that sounded both plaintive and eager all at once.

Joe laughed, making his paw jitter on Bobby Floyd's erection mid-stroke. “Aw, listen to you.”

Bobby Floyd shook his head. “C'mon, Joe, rub it right. I don't got all day. Anyways, you should listen to Joe when he shoots. It's a hoot.”

“Bobby Floyd,” whined Joe. “You promised not to make fun about that.”

The exchange was lost on Max, who couldn't quite follow. “Shoot what?” he murmured dimly, but no one answered him. For a few moments, the only noises in the room was the sound of flesh and fur rubbing together, mingled with soft panting. The loft was small enough for legs to intermingle, Max's feet rubbing against Joe's and Bobby Floyd's, feeling the toughness of their footpads as his toes wiggled and curled from pleasure. The contact provided an extra little thrill, turning his experience with Noah into something he shared with his three new friends.

Max felt a sort of tingle building, a warmth that seemed to spread over his groin, and he breathed faster, harder. He felt like he needed to find a bathroom and pee, but he kept telling himself he'd ask Noah after one more stroke, one more squeeze. The skunk knew what to do to him to make him feel good, and Max didn't want him to stop.  

And then, something happened. Max wasn't sure that it was supposed to happen, but it seemed to be what his body wanted. It felt a little like a full-body sneeze, or the warm rush after a good stretch. His dick twitched in Noah's paw, so stiff it seemed to ache, and Max stared, fascinated, as a few drops of pearly white spattered his stomach and the hem of his shirt, a final bead of the stuff clinging to the tip of his penis as Noah's fingers seemed to wring it out of him.

It must've been something that was supposed to happen, he decided, because after a moment, Joe's dick did the same thing. When the other kitten shot that stuff on his stomach, he let out a few low, strangled mrowling sounds of pleasure that made Max's shoulder shake with silent laughter, even as he came off his own peak.

“Don't—laugh,” Joe managed to choke out. A moment later, Joe went back to work on Bobby Floyd's erection, and soon the raccoon's chubby dick had made a larger mess of his own, accompanied by a quiet grunt of pleasure.

Max lay back on the hay for a moment, breathing hard. His stomach still felt fluttery inside. He'd let Noah touch him there. And everyone else had seen it. But it had felt so good! A thought occurred to him, and he turned his head to regard Noah. “Do I do it to you now?” he asked. He looked down at the skunk's hardon, neglected during his lesson on pleasure and shiny-slick at the tip.

Noah laughed, but it sounded like a noise of delight, not derision. “Do you want to?”

“I—“

“Joseph! You up there? Mama needs some help at the house,” came a voice from downstairs.

“It's Lucy!” hissed Joe. “Everyone get dressed.”

The boys wiggled into their clothes just in time, because a head soon peeked up into the hayloft, a slightly older, female version of Joe. “Here you are. Come on, 'less you want to go hungry at dinnertime.”

“I'll help, Joe,” said Noah. He gave Max a little squeeze on the shoulder. “We'll talk about it more later. You're gonna come back, right?”

“Yeah. I will,” promised Max. He wanted to, more than ever. He had a lot of questions for his new friends. He'd just make sure to ask Father instead of Mother.

Minutes later, Max was walking down the road again, knickerbockers over one arm, shoes held in the other, and his remaining candy tucked into the bib pocket of his borrowed overalls. Lucy had confirmed that her mama would want to have him over for a welcoming dinner, just as Joe had predicted, so he had two good reasons to go back to Joe's farm.

The heat didn't seem as bothersome on the way back, and though his bare feet were tender and unused to walking so far, his toes found little piles of dust on the road, as well as tall, tickly grass at the side of the road to delight in. He hummed cheerfully to himself as he made his way back towards his family's new home. He'd expected to be left alone here in the country, but instead had already made three friends to get in trouble with.

And it was only June! Plenty of time to explore life in the country. Max had all summer to look forward to.

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