Blinded By Delight

Written by MadDogAirPirate
Illustrated by Weaselgrease

Weylen was an exemplary teenager, and undoubtedly one of Darwyn's favorite students. He deserved so much better than he'd gotten, from everyone. The young teacher was certain he could provide the student with what he needed to get onto a better track, away from all the influences that were crushing the poor wolf.

He'd admitted it. He'd thought about the wolf many times, and what it would be like to be friends, and a mentor, to him. Okay. He'd even thought about getting together to have sex with Weylen. When he'd heard what Weylen had done, especially with Ichitro, there may have been a spark of jealousy, but the blaze of just how wrong it was overtook it.

And that was exactly why he felt so odd, now. Knowing he could have Weylen, that the wolf could have sex with him, instead of Ichitro, or anyone else, wasn't it what he wanted?

Maybe. Maybe it could happen. But not like this.

Darwyn scooted quickly to the side of the couch, his burgeoning erection pulling from the lupine's grasp. The student straightened up in surprise.

"Weylen, I... I appreciate that you want to repay my kindness, but you don't have to."

Weylen appeared puzzled, not knowing whether he should try again, or what to do. "I know I don't have to. I want to."

Darwyn gripped the arm of his couch, physically venting his own frustration. He should just give in. What if he never got the chance to do this again? No one had to know.

No, he told himself. That's what others do. That's what people did that got Weylen into this predicament. Wanting him for sex, but nothing else. Darwyn could sympathize with that, and he had to.

"Weylen, I, uh... I know. I know you think that. But that's something to be saved for the right person."

Weylen glanced away uncomfortably for a second before issuing a response. "I know. Aren't you the right person? I mean, you're doing so much for me."

He wanted to say it. He wanted to say it, so badly. "I- maybe, but knowing who that person is, it can take a little time. To be sure." He tried to reinforce the measure by tucking his hard-on back into his pants, though he fumbled a bit with zipping them back up, by this point. It wasn't that Darwyn was particularly large. He was average, in fact. But when he was throbbing and nervous, it just wasn't an easy task to do.

Weylen nodded, and then looked away. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Darwyn reassured, finally managing to zip his pants back up. "You're a teen, and it's not surprising you want to get sexually involved. Especially since you have, and you like it. But you shouldn't leap at every opportunity. That's what gets people into trouble." The dingo forced a smile as he got up. "There are some cookies on the counter. Why don't you grab them and some milk? I'll be back in a few moments."

The walk to the bathroom never felt so long before. With the door shut behind him, Darwyn thought about what had happened for only a few seconds before he found himself unzipping his pants. He didn't take anything off. His cock felt so uncomfortable, belt within the confines of his trousers, and it immediately demanded the space as soon as the zipper was down.

The throbbing alone was unbearable. He needed sweet release. The touch of his own hand never seemed as sensitive as when he gripped his cock now, the heightened warmth from his shaft meeting his hand.

Closing his eyes, Darwyn couldn't escape what he'd wanted to do. Weylen had wanted to suck his dick. How he wanted to let him, to release into him, to just give that sweet wolf what he really wanted. There was no interest in prolonging the masturbation. Darwyn's stroking was tight-gripped and frenzied, wanting to release this bodily need as soon as possible.

The tingle came quickly; his body wanted it as much as he did. He blasted semen right onto his floor, between his tensed feet, white streaks of himself layering the floor into a pool of jizz as they ran together. With his cock still dripping, Darwyn breathed a sigh of much-needed relief, satisfied he'd done so without Weylen. That poor student had enough problems right now.

Wiping it all up quickly with a towel, Darwyn tossed that into his bathtub. He'd do a more thorough cleaning later. He tucked himself back into his pants, his burgeoning knot still feeling very sensitive and conspicuous within his trousers. Still, Weylen already knew about it, and he had to get back to the young wolf. With pants zipped, Darwyn stepped out.

"Now then, what would you like for dinner?" Darwyn suggested cheerily. He was met with no response.

A quick check in all the rooms confirmed his worry. Weylen wasn't there anymore. Peering outside, the science teacher didn't see his bicycle present. The teen must have gone home.

Sighing, Darwyn wandered over to the room he'd set up for Weylen. He just peered at it for a few moments from the outside, as if trying to figure out what he'd forgotten to incorporate to entice Weylen that this place was his comfort, his sanctuary.

It didn't feel right. He'd really gone out of his way to reach out to Weylen and make him feel safe. He didn't use Weylen for sex; he'd excused himself and taken care of business privately. Even so. The room was empty. The teacher stepped into the room and leaned against a wall, lamenting that Weylen still didn't feel he had a safe haven.

That wasn't his doing, though. Oh no. He wasn't the one that had caused this problem. No matter what, this problem needed to be solved. And if he wanted to do that, he'd have to tackle it at the source.

--------------------

It was only 7 am when he'd pulled into the school. The parking lots were almost completely empty. There was one sight that told him the one he was looking for would be present however. On a bicycle rack was a ten-speed mountain bike. By now Darwyn knew its owner.

The locker room felt hollow and empty to the science teacher. He was certain that Ichitro would be there. With any luck, he could deal with him without involving his assistant coach. The light was on in the coach's office, and the door was slightly ajar. Darwyn didn't even knock before he pushed the door wide open, prepared to let his frustration and indignation loose on an all-deserving gym teacher who took advantage of a young student's innocence.

Ichitro sat at his desk. He didn't seem startled when the door opened, but his expression clearly indicated he had not expected to see Darwyn standing within the frame. His brow knitted tightly from annoyance to a raised eyebrow of expectation, as Darwyn hadn't yet said a word.

"Something I can help you with, polo shirt?" Ichitro asked impatiently.

Darwyn took a step further into the room. "You selfish bastard. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Ichitro had already gathered Darwyn was unhappy with him by his balled fists, but it wasn't the first angry person he'd ever dealt with. "That depends on who you ask, I guess," he quipped nonchalantly. "Of course, it might help to know just what I did that makes me a selfish bastard in your eyes."

The dingo seethed at the bat's lack of concern. "I've been having a talk with Weylen, trying to undo the damage that you've done. I know damned well you used him for sex."

That did rattle the coach somewhat, and he stood up from his desk. "Whoa now. Before you say something you're going to regret-"

"He's not even sixteen yet! He's not ready for sex," Darwyn hissed.

"I don't really think that's your call to make," Ichitro shot back.

"It's not yours either! Weylen told me he didn't come onto you. You unzipped your pants after you told me you were going to drive him home."

Ichitro shrugged. "That's about the size of it. So what?"

Darwyn's eyes widened, his irritation quickly boiling to acute rage. "So what?" he blustered. "You tried to get him to have sex with you."

"I presented an opportunity," he corrected. "I made it very clear he could choose to get involved, or he could decline. You don't force someone just because you give them a choice."

The canine didn't seem to absorb any of that. "I swear, I should turn you over to Vulpe or Porthos right now. You have no idea how badly you screwed him up. No idea. I don't know who's worse, though. You, or his father."

Now it was Ichitro whose eyes widened. "Watch how you talk about his father like that. You have no idea what you're saying."

Nodding condescendingly, the dingo rejected that sentiment too. "Oh yeah? Won't even be doing anything to celebrate his son's sixteenth birthday. Some father. What kind of father fucks his son's teacher while he's in the house?"

"You're way out of line," Ichitro rumbled darkly.

"I- I'm out of line?" he asked incredulously, as his adrenaline and frustration had gotten the better of Darwyn. "You scarred him. He really thought a lot of you, and you scarred him. I hope that fuck was worth it. He doesn't feel safe going home. He doesn't feel safe here. I heard about how he skipped class just to avoid you."

For once, Ichitro was silent. Darwyn, however, kept going.

"I can't have him around the likes of you," Darwyn challenged. "Lucky for you I promised him I wouldn't turn you in. Instead, I have to clean all of this up. You don't care about him. I'm the one who's giving him refuge in my house, just to spare that poor wolf from you. Gave him my housekey, bought a few things so he could have a comfortable place away from home. And I thought he was happier, after I set up a room for him. You know what he did, to show his gratitude? He tried to blow me. That's your influence, right there. Now all he thinks is that sex is a way to relate to someone he likes. And when I turned him down, he felt so bad he left. You're just setting him up to be used by someone."

"... Like you?" Ichitro challenged quietly. "Something tells me you didn't say warm and fuzzy things about me or his father to Weylen. You have no idea how much damage you are doing. His father is his one solid relationship."

"You ruined the trust in his home," Darwyn pushed back.

"Ruined?" Ichitro repeated with a chuckle. "Jarvis had a bunch of people over before me, all right? Weylen functioned just fine when they were over. You ever stopped to think you're the one fucking him up? You let him stay at your house, poison all his other relationships-"

"I didn't, you-" Darwyn started, but he felt much more defensive now.

"You say you want what's best for him. But sounds like you're the one telling him what's best for him. You ever ask him what he wanted? If he wanted you to rescue him?" the bat asked.

"He needs me," Darwyn barked back. "He's going to need someone to protect him in this world from sexual predators like you."

Ichitro inhaled sharply, seeming to catch himself, as his anger started to fade, just a bit. "You really like Weylen, but you think Jarvis and I don't?" He jabbed a finger in Darwyn's direction. "You know why I tagged along when you went to get him clothes? You were way too interested in him. You wanted to go alone with him. He could have bought clothes himself. I knew something was up. You were way too eager. Now you're telling me you gave him a key to your house. You set up a room for him. You talk shit about me and his father. You've got feelings for Weylen. Admit it."

"So what if I do? At least my feelings and my attempts to build something with him are healthy."

"The hell they are." Ichitro found an index card on his desk and started scribbling out something onto it. "I want you to take this. Friday, you're gonna call this number. It's to my cell phone. And you're going to apologize."

"You're completely psychotic," Darwyn retorted. "There's no way in hell I'll apologize to you. Keep that number."

"Take it, and start thinking about what the hell you're doing. Or else I'll have a talk with Jarvis about what you're doing to his son. He's not going to be nearly as nice to you as I'm being." He thrust his arm across the desk, offering the index card to the confused science teacher.

"You're wrong. I'm the only one here being good to Weylen," Darwyn rejected.

"If it makes you feel any better," Ichitro conceded, "I did screw Weylen up. But not intentionally. And whether you believe it or not, that little wolf means a lot to me. Not as some creepy relationship or whatever the hell you were going for. I just wanted him to learn about sex with someone he could trust. I wanted him to act on it, only if he was ready. The thing is... whether I realized it or not at the time, I let him down, doing what I did with his father. But Jarvis, you've got him all wrong. He works his ass off for his kid, and he puts high expectations on Weylen. He's a good guy. A really good guy. I don't think he realized getting together with me would bother Weylen so much." If there was more to that last thought, Ichitro left it unsaid.

"Don't expect me to call on Friday," Darwyn clarified. He wasn't sure if it was more for himself or for Ichitro. He was beginning to have a twinge of doubt.

"Hold onto it anyway. Only call if you think it's the right thing to do. But you're standing to ruin a lot more for Weylen than I ever could."

From behind the dingo rang a different voice. "Am I interrupting?"

Darwyn turned around. Just as he'd thought, there was Weasel. Internally, the canine could only wonder just how much the assistant coach had overheard. "Stay away from him," the science teacher ordered.

"He's in my gym class, and I really do have to make amends. So no. Not unless he tells me to stay away from him." The bat pointed toward the hallway. "Now get out of here. You've got some thinking to do."

Shooting Ichitro one last dirty look, Darwyn stepped out of the office. His mind turned over dozens of different denials, none quite able to block out the fear that Ichitro might be right. That lothario couldn't possibly be right. Darwyn knew he had Weylen's best interests at heart.

So why did he feel so uncertain, now?

After all, he knew Ichitro's type. He'd dealt with someone like Ichitro, long ago. He knew the outcome. That was exactly why he could not let Weylen be drawn down the same path of self-doubt and anxiety. At least Darwyn knew he could treat the wolf right and save him from the same mistake that he'd made years earlier.

------------------

"That was excellent," the large wolf remarked, adjusting his coach's hat. "You're the kind of student I wish I had twenty of in each class," he praised.

The teenage dingo felt winded from his minute of sit-ups, but the recognition meant a lot to him. "Wow. Thanks, Coach Packer!"

Philip Packer was Darwyn's favorite teacher in his sophomore year at his high school. The large wolf was solidly built, with muscled arms and a fairly defined chest. Both showed through the dingy white tank top that he seemed to wear every gym period. Despite the upper definition, he still kept a fairly slender waist, hugged by shorts that, come to think of it now, were much too tight and revealing for any appropriate attire. At the time though, Darwyn loved sneaking glances at the obvious bulge that pushed out a bit against Coach Packer's shorts.

"You're going to get a commendation and a certificate for being in such great shape," the wolf explained, brushing his index finger through his mustache as he seemed to be weighing something. "But really, that's not nearly enough. After school today, what say I treat you to dinner, dessert? I want to show my appreciation."

Being invited to spend time with his favorite teacher was already something he was hoping for. Darwyn remembered, at sixteen, not seeing anything wrong with accepting the offer. In fact, Darwyn was just hoping to get some time alone. Maybe Packer liked him as much as Darwyn liked his coach. That would be a dream come true.

There was definitely a part of him, as the school day wound down, that questioned, over and over, was it dinner, or was it something more? He'd probably been playing it up in his mind. It was just a congratulatory dinner. Heck, he probably wouldn't be the only one invited. Surely other students passed the fitness test.

Then he'd stepped out from the school. Even now, Darwyn remembered the way Coach Packer was leaning up against his grey van. Spread-eagle posture, with both his arms outstretched, draped on the top of his vehicle. Most of his clothing was the same from gym class; the only thing that had changed is that he had on dark sunglasses.

He grinned and nodded as the teen dingo approached with his backpack. "There's my star pupil. You all set?"

Darwyn had nodded, and even then, he was pretty sure he was trying to figure out what Coach Packer had in mind. He remembered getting into the van, having him shut the door behind him. He'd driven for miles while the conversation mostly centered around fitness, flexibility and how important it was for men.

When they had started pulling off the main road onto a dirt one that led into the woods, the young Darwyn had remembered feeling a twinge of uncertainty. "Uh, I thought we were going to get dinner?"

Tilting his sunglasses downward against his muzzle, Coach Packer only offered a slight smile before pulling the van in between a few trees. He cut the engine before opening his door with a slight creak. Darwyn sat there, confused, until the coach spoke.

"It's okay. It's in the back of the van."

Climbing out of the truck, Darwyn still remained a bit concerned. The large wolf opened the doors to the rear of his van, as the teenage dingo approached to see. Inside was a sort of kitchen, with some counter space and a microwave, along with a mini-refrigerator. There was also a table with two chairs on the left side, and a set of mattresses on the right.

Packer clasped Darwyn on the back, squeezing the base of his neck just a little. "I rigged this baby so that I could go wherever I want with the basics. Not as elaborate as an RV, and not as much room."

Darwyn nodded mechanically. "So, what-" he began, before Coach Parker cut him off, leaning in so that his muzzle was just an inch from Darwyn's left ear.

"Easy, Darwyn. We both know why you're here. You've had your eye on me. And I've had my eye on you," he intoned breathily.

Just having Packer's hand directly on him had already excited the teen. That masculine grip, the feeling of the lupine's breath on him. Darwyn had actually remembered believing that if he'd wanted to, Coach Packer could have lifted him right up by the grip on his neck. And as much as it was confining, it didn't hurt. The dingo tried to speak, but words wouldn't form, only stutters of unease.

"No one's around," Packer reassured. "This place is pretty obscure. Just you'n me, and I'm gonna give you what you want." He pushed Darwyn forward. "Go on, in the van."

He wasn't sure if it was excitement, agreement, or obedience that had gotten him into the van. Once he had climbed in, he remembered turning around. Packer had scrambled in, and was just shutting the doors behind him. It happened so quickly, the dingo found it hard to believe it was beginning. Packer rounded and wrapped his arms around Darwyn. Only having a faint sense of the wolf leaning forward, he realized only when his jaws were being parted that Packer had met his muzzle and his tongue snaked hungrily inside. Every part of Darwyn's body had locked.

He remembered a gentle shove that knocked him back onto the mattress. Packer nearly had bounded forward to pin him down. He remembered feeling that invasive large hand inside his trousers after the coach had unbuttoned them. The feeling of his cock being gripped by the large adult was captivating.

Darwyn had just laid there, gripping the bed, panting, whether from fear or excitement, he could not say, now. He remembered the open air permeating his fur as his trousers were pulled off by the wolf.

He didn't remember Packer removing his own clothes. That part escaped him. He did remember Packer positioning himself in reverse of Darwyn as he went to pay down atop the teen dingo. He got not just a view of the thick knotted cock of the coach, but after a few seconds of lowering and a command to open wide, he had a taste and feel of it. Thinking back now, he found the same overwhelming presence of raw sex being placed into his mouth, as Packer bore his weight down on the scrawnier teen to pin him down. Darwyn had had little choice but to deal with the length of cock running almost back to his throat, all before he'd had much idea of what was going on. Sex with someone was entirely new to him. As much as he'd wanted to do things, it was happening so fast.

He remembered Parker's hands, most of all, as one rubbed along his cock. It hadn't taken much time to get the teen's blood pumping, and that grip, those fingers around his cock... that was etched in his memory.

Darwyn remembered feeling the coach grip his ankles and pull his lower body up a bit, before feeling that tongue on his sphincter, lusty, delving. Packer's tongue had a way of forceful tenderness. Darwyn had still been trying to handle the large, thick cock without choking on it, but after that tongue pushed inside him, everything else seemed secondary.

The hot breath, the wet, wriggling feeling of Packer's tongue inside him, in a place where he'd never imagined anyone being, ever. Darwyn's toes wriggled in sensory overload, and he tried to pull himself away by twisting or yanking his legs. It didn't matter. Coach Packer's grip was tight around his ankles, and he wasn't letting Darwyn up at all. He had to lay there and take it. It was all so disconcerting... and yet, that was part of why thinking about it still turned him on, when he thought about it.

When Packer got up, the wolf's saliva dribbling out from his opening, Darwyn felt a bit relieved, as much as he was enjoying it. He laid there on the cot, the light from outside shining all around the broad, dark figure of the coach.

"You just let me give you what you need," Packer suggested with a toothy grin.

Darwyn had started to sit up, but the coach pounced on him as soon as he tried, grabbing his skinny biceps to hold the teen down. "Just relax. You're gonna love this," he assured. The glint in his eye was one Darwyn still could never forget. He looked just a little unhinged.

As Packer slid along Darwyn's body to position himself, the dingo got a sense of what he was positioning for. That moist cock of his wasted no time, punching right into him. The dingo remembered wincing in pain, but after that, all he could feel was thick, invasive cock, sliding into him. The width was what really caught Darwyn's attention. Every side, every inch of him could feel the thickness just pushing, demanding space, rubbing along wet membrane as it made its way slowly into the thinner canine.

Darwyn, being held down, could only squirm a bit, but he didn't get far.

Through heavy, grunted breaths, the larger wolf pulled back a bit, and then he rammed himself back in. The force was jarring, and with each quick, pronounced thrust, Darwyn felt his coach pushing into him. Any attempts to tighten up were denied. But within each smash, the wolf's thick cock pressed and kneaded Darwyn's prostate. That felt world-stoppingly good, and it prevented Darwyn from making any protest. It was a mixed shock of good and bad. Years later, Darwyn thought it had to have been what people meant by saying something 'hurt so good'. Each one felt like it was going to just push the meaty length of Darwyn's own cock right out of his sheath, if that was possible. He already felt hard as a rock.

Packer was right on top of him, albeit arms nearly locked up above, with all his weight bearing down. The coach seemed almost mesmerized by Darwyn's expression. The dingo couldn't be sure how he'd looked at the time, but Packer's gaze was intense, piercing, demanding recognition of his control.

The punch of the lupine's knot hit with every thrust, but after a few minutes, Packer's actions became more fervent. He leaned down, his intense gaze drawing closer. He was actually salivating, with drops of it falling onto Darwyn's young face. But the thrusting slowed down, and now, Packer was pushing, hard, his thick, pulsing knot demanding access to a space that wasn't set up to allow him.

"Uhh, coach...." Darwyn never finished the thought, but his uncertainty had gripped him. That push was hurting. The dingo lifted his legs up to try and push at Packer, but they just didn't have the leverage. His arms didn't do much better. Packer was a large, powerful wolf.

Packer responded with nothing more that a hungry, guttural drone as he continued to push his knot against Darwyn. The wave of pain when it forced through was immediate, a fiery, shooting sting, but then, Packer was in, several inches deeper than before. Almost by sheer necessity, he was locked in, that thick knot claiming the dingo's ass.

What was more, and this, Darwyn remembered more than anything else: Packer's cock was in so deep that it was pressed against his prostate, so much so that it felt like it had to bend and smoosh inward just to accommodate. Packer had less area in which to thrust, but his grinding was no less animated. Every time that cock moved, it stroked and prodded Darwyn's prostate. It was like one long orgasm, every roll, every touch, every prod a stimulation for what had to be the best feeling he could ever remember in all his physical life.

Packer must have seen it on Darwyn's face too, as his intense look pulled right up into a toothy smile. "Yeah! Yeah! That's it!"

It was too much to contain. Darwyn moaned, and he wanted so badly to squirm, to get away from the sheer overload. It was great, but it was too much. The teen's toes curled, one of his hands gripping at... just nothing, balling into a fist.

"You fucking love it, don't you?" Packer demanded, and Darwyn found it hard to say no to that. Every punch of the wolf's dick was like an extension of some feeling he wanted to hold onto.

Then it got really wet. Warm splashes were hitting his insides, as his lust-maddened coach closed his eyes and just focused on releasing his jizz into the pinned student.

It was then that it really hit the dingo. He'd just had sex. His coach had just climaxed inside him. Darwyn's own cock, which had taken a back seat to the pleasured nerves of his prostate, was tingling. Packer still thrust onward, even as his wet addition was fading. He'd just been fucked by a guy he'd worshipped, who he thought was so sexy.

Darwyn's release felt like a tingling necessity to relieve bottled-up pressure, his semen pasting into the wolf's chestfur, then his groin, as its warm, watery contents soaked into everything along his front. Packer said nothing further, just watching as Darwyn emptied himself.

The two laid there, bound and panting. Even after cleanup and a few banters and praises left the two of them, Darwyn remained in true afterglow. He didn't think anything would ever ruin that moment for him.

-----------------------

How quickly that perception changed the next week. Young Darwyn remembered entering the locker room that day. The door to his office was ajar. The grunting alone told Darwyn it was something he should have stayed away from. Pushing it open only confirmed his worry. Packer was in the midst of getting a blowjob from some bear student, probably a junior or a senior. Darwyn didn't know who it was. He didn't care to.

"Hey kid," Packer had greeted him. "Wanna join in?"

Some would have taken such an offer eagerly. All Darwyn had realized was that what they had shared wasn't exclusive to just him. "I... I was coming to ask if you wanted to- I'm so sorry. I don't understand."

Packer had just watched from across the room as he'd continued to get his dick sucked. "Understand what?"

"I thought you said I was special."

Packer raised an eyebrow. "You are special. You're sexy. Didn't say you were unique."

The words stung more than Darwyn could have ever described. He'd been building this idea in his head that Packer really cared for him, and that after school had finished, he'd live with the large wolf.

The gym coach spoke up. "Well, if you're not joining in, show some respect and shut the door, huh? I haven't planted my flag in this one yet."

Darwyn, finding it hard to breathe, found words to express his rage. "I should turn you into the school."

"And what? Label yourself a slut, a faggot? Well, I won't stop you. But you'll regret it more than anything."

No distance away from that office ever seemed to soothe the sting of the events that followed.

-----------------

Darwyn had hoped to talk with Weylen for a few minutes before homeroom, but he'd wound up so lost in his thoughts, scrawling meaninglessly on a sheet of paper. The bell was a jarring reminder that he'd missed his chance. Besides, he hadn't quite figured out what he wanted to say to the young wolf.

As the day slipped away, he felt no closer to knowing what he wanted to do. It was fifth period, and that gave him some time to collect his thoughts back in the teachers' lounge.

"You cannot tell them that!" a slightly exasperated Pamela Pardus snapped. "It's not realistic." Darwyn was happy to see she was there. She'd be one of the ones to give him good feedback on this whole mess. She was a kind friend, despite her high-strung opinions. The pantheress could go from kindly to hard-hitting in a second flat.

The other school guidance counselor shrugged. "That's what he wanted to do. To design video games." Marley's calm hippie-like optimism tended to rub Pamela the wrong way.

"Marley, the boy has no computer skills. He considers experience playing video games. Now, that may land him a position as a tester, but that's about it. He would need college otherwise, or he would need to at least learn some programming languages. He's not showing any drive to do those things."

Marley shrugged. "He's trying to find himself, find something he would like doing for work. He likes playing video games. So he's going to focus on the year after he graduates researching-"

"Playing video games?" Pamela shot back.

From the far side of the room, the tall, lanky, well-dressed crow cleared his throat. "I can understand your frustration, Pamela. But we can only guide students, not force them. They're allowed to make wrong decisions."

"I understand that, Mr. Inkfeather," Pamela conceded without turning her head, "but we should at least be arming them with the reality of their success. That's what guidance counselors do."

Marley shrugged. "We should encourage them to do what they want. He believes in this."

"Then at least tell him how to get the experience or credentials required to do what he wants to do!"

"It's early in the year yet. He'll have time to think about it," the otter offered casually.

Pamela seemed to be building toward an outburst of fury at that, but in the middle of it, it was as if she had decided to let it go. "I'm gonna grab a coffee. Niles, Darwyn, do either of you want anything?" she asked with some forced cheer.

Niles smiled. "I'll go with you. I could stand to step out of these walls. Darwyn?"

The dingo had half-listened to the conversation, and he perked up as he realized he was being asked something. "Yes?"

"You want to come along? For coffee?" Niles asked.

The dingo nodded. The three of them headed out for Pamela's car as she continued to rant upon exiting the building. "The nerve of that fool. It's right in the name. It's guidance counselor, not do-whatever-the-hell-sounds-good counselor."

"Why don't we take my car?" Niles suggested gingerly, pointing to his black SUV. "It has more room."

"Arthur Urso is in my half of the alphabet," she seethed. "Why is Marley dealing with him?"

"You know that we suggest students see the other counselor if they feel there's a clash," Niles intoned calmly as he opened the door and got into the vehicle. She and Darwyn followed suit, with Darwyn sitting in the back.

"Arthur never even came to see me," she pointed out testily.

"Yet he made the request for Marley Ferrier." Niles buckled his seat belt and started to fumble with his keys. "Pamela, you give sound advice. Not everyone will want to hear the practical."

"Practical! Thank you!"

"But the practical can get lost when you deliver it with your intensity," the crow countered. "Keep in mind, you are trying to reach these students. If they close off to you, you can't do it."

She sighed in response.

"Let's get some coffee," the vice principal suggested. The engine roared to life, and the car pulled into motion. "For example, it's my job to deal with students when they behave inappropriately in the school. I still discipline them, but I take the time to talk with them, examine what's going on."

"Yes, but if they're lazy, or reckless, or destructive, you don't gloss over it."

"No," he admitted. "But I do take the time to explain why without getting so emotionally charged. It is their life."

"Absolutely. But these students are young. They do need guidance. Someone to steer them as they go into the adult world," Pamela protested.

"Darwyn? You're being awfully quiet, back there." Perhaps Niles hoped to change the subject.

"I'm sorry," he admitted. "Something is on my mind." The dingo's tone was somber.

Pamela turned around in her seat and looked back. "Oh Darwyn, I'm sorry. I'd gotten so caught up, I didn't notice."

Darwyn untwisted his lap-band to his seat belt so that it laid flat. "What if there was someone you were really taken with. And you think they like you, as well."

Pamela beamed. "You found a girl?"

Darwyn smiled wryly in response to that but didn't confirm or deny it. "And this person has been dealing with a few other guys, recently."

"You mean sexually, or romantically?" she questioned.

"I think more the first," he admitted. "And they're all wrong, just using the person for sex. I don't think they really care about them."

"And you're trying to win her over," Pamela suggested.

"Yes. Well, no. I don't know. I really like them. And when we talk, the person talks about feeling used, and not being sure about what they're doing. So, I whisked them away, back to my place. I set up a room and everything, bought a few things so they would feel at home. Gave them a key." He tried to figure out how to phase what he wanted to say next. "They came onto me, and I'm not sure if it's what I want. I mean, physically, they got a strong reaction. But I just want to help them. So I excused myself for the bathroom, and when I came back out, they were gone."

"Hold up," Pamela put in. "How long have you known this person?"

"Not long," Darwyn admitted uncomfortably.

"How long is 'not long' exactly?" Pamela inquired cynically.

"A week and a half."

"Okay. These aren't abusive situations, with this girl and the other people?" Pamela checked.

Darwyn thought about that. "I think they might be after them because they, uh, put out easily, I guess." Saying it just felt so uncomfortable to talk about. Weylen deserved better than that. "But they're having some misgivings about it."

"Honey," Pamela began in a patronizing tone. "I am so close to lashing you for this. It just strikes me as wrong. I think mostly, it's because I reject the idea that any woman needs a man to rescue her from her own sexual choices. You buy someone you just met a bunch of stuff and invite them to stay at a room in your house?"

Darwyn didn't respond to that right away, so silence hung in the air. "I wanted to give them a safe haven."

"A safe haven from their own choices? Now if there was clear physical or sexual abuse, I might change my tune, but it definitely sounds like you don't have a handle on that. People are allowed to make bad choices."

"Imagine that," Niles quipped dryly from the next seat. He began to pull the car into the coffee shop's parking lot.

"Especially adults," she emphasized. "And the thing is, it still applies to who you're talking about, male or female."

"Okay, but-" Darwyn began in counter, but that last comment made him pause. "What do you mean?"

"Honey, in this day and age, if you're gay, you know that's fine, right? An interest in men and women is fine. ... I noticed you were playing the pronoun game. Never said she once."

Darwyn felt caught. "That doesn't mean-"

"I'm not asking you to out yourself," the pantheress clarified. "All I'm saying is, male or female, shouldn't matter. You are not that person's knight in shining armor. It's their own behavior, honey. You shouldn't be trying to remove them at all. Did this person ever ask to stay at your place?"

"No," he admitted.

"Ever think that in all your efforts to be nice, maybe you confused him or her? Creeped them out?"

"Creeped them- no, I don't think that's it. Confused him... maybe." Darwyn wasn't sure, now.

"Him. I knew it!" Pamela latched right onto that.

"... Him. It doesn't bother you?" the dingo asked.

"When it feels right, you know," she pointed out. "I know I certainly find a raw attraction to men. Why would I think it strange that you had it?"

Niles parked the car and turned off the ignition. "If you're content, and it harms no one, that's all that matters. That said, I won't spread this around, myself. I find it to be your business. Vernon does seem to have a hangup on that, however. So keep it away from Vulpe. My advice to you."

The three climbed out of the SUV and headed in.

"The thing I don't get," Pamela commented as they grabbed a table. "What would possess you to do something crazy enough to buy stuff, and give someone a key when you've known them for a week and a half? That seems a little desperate."

Darwyn thought about whether or not he should talk about his earlier reflection on his first sexual experiences with his high school coach. "Let's just say," he offered, "the first time I ever had, I was young, and the guy used me for sex, dropped me like a hot potato after that."

"Now I get it," Pamela piped up. "You don't want him to go through what you went through. But honey, are you rescuing him or trying to get him for yourself?"

"I... I don't know," he admitted.

"If you could have him, would you take him as your partner?"

"I... I think so."

"Then why turn him down when he offered to get physical with you?" she pointedly queried.

"Because I didn't want him to think I did it just to get him in the sack," Darwyn explained, actually turning a bit testy since the exchange had started. "He deserves to be treated better than that."

"Then perhaps he also deserves better than to have his affections possibly bought off with a bunch of new stuff? You're not being clear on your intentions. You're giving mixed messages, I think."

Darwyn realized it was true. His intentions were good, but... did Ichitro have a point? ... No. It couldn't possibly be that. Ichitro on the other hand had reportedly slept with several students. Just like Coach Packer. Ichitro was the problem here.

"This other guy that's been getting together with the one I'm interested in... he has a history of sleeping around. I just wanted to show him a better alternative."

"Again, mixed messages," she suggested.

Niles nodded sagely. "He is free to make his own choices, and if you tempt him in some other direction, with masked or clouded intentions of your own, how are you helping him to achieve clarity?"

"I didn't mean it to tempt him, exactly," Darwyn resisted.

"Darwyn," the crow began, "do you really believe that? You give him the key to your home, bought him a bunch of items. Were they the basic necessities? Simple food, clothes?"

Darwyn looked down. "No."

"We're next," the bird suggested, thumbing at the line that had dropped off at the front of the coffee shop. "We know what we want for coffee?"

Darwyn nodded. But even though the conversation would drift to other topics for the rest of their stay at the shoppe, his mind was not on them or on coffee.

-------------

Seventh period meant that he would be seeing Weylen. At that point, there would be no escaping dealing with the young wolf. Darwyn still remained conflicted on the whole matter. He knew his intentions were good, but what if it was backfiring?

"We're going to continue talking about earth's different layers of strata today. I want you to begin copying the notes on the board," Darwyn explained. "If you have any questions, please hold onto them or write them down. I will be back in five minutes. Weylen, could I speak to you out in the hall?"

Weylen looked as if he'd been shot. His wide-eyed expression and visible flinch said it all. Even so, he complied, leaving his backpack and belongings behind while he stepped out into the hallway with Darwyn. They didn't remain there, however. Darwyn gestured for him to follow along to the next classroom to the right of theirs, which was empty for this period.

Darwyn shut the door. "Weylen, I... is everything okay? You kinda left unexpectedly last night."

Weylen didn't meet Darwyn's eyes. "Look, Mr. D, what you're doing for me is really nice, but I don't know if I can accept it."

Darwyn nodded while he spoke in a quiet voice. "That whole... thing, on the couch. I think you might have gotten the wrong idea."

"Mr. D. Please, can we just go back to class?" Weylen begged.

Darwyn leaned back against the door. "Weylen. If I knew what I could say in this moment to help, please believe me. I would say it. I don't. Do you still want to do the party on Wednesday?"

Weylen looked down at the floor. "I kinda forgot all about the party."

"Do you still want it?"

Weylen shuffled one of his feet. "The thing is I'm feeling weird about going over to your house and having you do all that stuff for me, and, I wanted to say thank you and... I didn't mean to weird you out."

Darwyn nodded, looking up at the ceiling as if to find the answer he was looking for. "Weylen, I meant that room as a place you could use. You don't have to use it at all. I wanted it as an option for you. I didn't want to force you into anything or get you to feel like you owed me. I still would really like to do a party for you. Sixteen is a big year."

Weylen looked up. "Would it be okay if we didn't have the party at your house?"

Darwyn smiled, happy this was going in a better direction now. "Of course. Did you have something in mind?"

Weylen looked a little uncomfortable. "I don't know how much Aquageddon costs. But I mentioned it to my dad and he said he'd pitch in."

Darwyn blanched a little at hearing Weylen bring up his father. Should he take Weylen's father's money? That would involve interaction, and somehow, Darwyn wasn't looking forward to that. "What if I take back the TechFox 360 and just use that, so that way your dad's not out any money? Is that okay?"

Weylen smiled. "It's okay if you take it back. It's not that I don't like it. It's just I know it's expensive. But my dad insisted on funding the party, and he'd cover up to $300 for it. He's going to give it to you after he makes sure we have a few chaperones and he talks with you about it. That's okay, right?"

Darwyn didn't know how to respond to that. He'd never met Jarvis Wolf before. Given his impression of the father so far, he wasn't sure he even wanted to. If that was the only way for the party to happen though....

"So be it," Darwyn offered with a forced smile. "We should get back to class."

"Okay. If you want, he said you could talk with him about it after school today. I told him I wasn't even sure if we were having the party. He said if we were, he wanted to talk with you about it in person."

Darwyn gripped the doorknob a little too tightly. "Did you tell your dad... anything else about me?"

"Just that you were trying to help me deal with, uh, what I saw when they caught me the other day."

Shit. Darwyn's stomach felt like it was going to drop right out of his body.

"Was he mad?" Darwyn asked cautiously.

"Mad? No, why?" Weylen asked, confused.

"Never mind. Let's get back to class."

--------------

The bell sounded.

"Thank goodness."

The outburst caused Darwyn to be met with eighteen pairs of students' eyes.

"No homework today," Darwyn assured in an attempt to cover up his relief that the period was over. He'd stumbled throughout it. He kept calling the layers of the atmosphere by the wrong names, kept getting the facts on the layers confused. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew all that stuff.

Correction. He did know. He'd been distracted, all period. What did Jarvis really want with him? What was he going to do with him? Maybe he shouldn't go at all.

"Mr. D, I didn't take my bike today," Weylen explained as the last students filed out. "Should I catch the bus and tell my dad you'll be over soon, or... should I just catch a ride home with you?"

Darwyn's mind raced through the possibilities. He could tell them he was coming later and then make an excuse. That would only buy time. Would it look better to take his son home or not? He didn't know enough about this father to know that.

All of a sudden, all he could hear was Ichitro's voice in his head. "Or else I'll have a talk with Jarvis about what you're doing to his son. He's not going to be nearly as nice to you as I'm being."

Weylen did ask about the ride, however.

That made up Darwyn's mind. "Yeah, I can give you a ride home. C'mon. And on the way, why don't you tell me a little bit about your dad?" Whether it was a reconsideration of his earlier conclusions or just a matter of self-preservation, either way, he was hoping for a little insight.

"Dad? He's a firefighter, and-" Weylen began.

"You mentioned that. I more mean his personality. I heard he really told off Mr. Foxworthy at last week's parent teacher conference. He sounds a bit... intense, I guess." Darwyn tried to choose his words carefully.

"Dad only gets pissed off when he feels jerked around or when someone's trying to get out of their responsibility," Weylen offered. "You'll be fine. You're a nice guy, Mr. D."

That should have been reassuring. Why wasn't it?

Once again, he found himself in his car with Weylen. After buckling himself in, he glanced over at the little wolf. "When you talked about me, your dad wasn't mad at all?"

"No. Didn't you ask that already?" Weylen asked, a little suspicious. "Why would you think he was mad at you?"

"Weylen, I... I did suggest to you that what your father and Ichitro did wasn't right, and I told you a few times that I thought your dad was irresponsible or inconsiderate."

"I know," Weylen responded.

"Well, that's the kind of thing that I would think-"

"Oh, I didn't tell him what you said about that."

He nodded. "So... what's your dad think of Ichitro then?"

Weylen peered out the window. "He's still ticked at Coach for lecturing him. But he told me he thinks Coach Ichitro's a good guy."

That surprised Darwyn. "Seriously? After what he did to you, uh, physically?"

"Dad doesn't know that part," Weylen explained. "And you can't tell him either."

"All the more. Do you think your dad would approve of Ichitro if he knew?" Darwyn pushed.

Weylen looked over at Darwyn. "I like Coach Ichitro, and I like my dad. But I don't know how Dad would react. He thinks I should just focus on schoolwork and leave everything else until after I'm done with school. ... In four years."

Darwyn nodded. "How about you? How do you feel about that?"

"I can't imagine not doing anything with someone else for four years," the young lupine admitted.

The dingo didn't respond to that and instead focused on the road. "So it's across the river, right?"

Weylen nodded in the seat next to him. "And after that, take the first left after crossing."

It wasn't that Darwyn didn't have things he wanted to ask or talk about on the remainder of the drive. His mind, however, was fixated on how to deal with Weylen's father. He responded mechanically to Weylen's instructions to his house as he thought on the matter.

After being asked to turn right, Darwyn started to take notice. "There's nothing but trees out here on this road."

Weylen nodded. "We've got the only house on it. It's about halfway up. Just continues for a ways, but it doesn't really go anywhere. It's a strange road. I think developers have talked about adding housing to it."

The lone driveway on the right side told him the answer to what he would ask anyway. "That it?"

"Yeah."

A pickup truck sat in the driveway. It looked pretty old. Darwyn was no expert on cars, but he was fairly sure it was a few decades old. The frame looked to be entirely metal, and it had spots of rust eating away at its frame, beneath its camper shell. The teacher pulled his sedan in behind it.

"I just hope I'm not imposing," the dingo commented nervously as he cut the engine.

"Mr. D, you're throwing me a party. Dad made a point to tell me how awfully nice of you he thought it was."

"Is that right?" Darwyn mused, climbing out of the car.

As they approached the door, it swung open. There stood who had to be Weylen's father. Wolves were usually bigger than he was, Weylen excepted, so he was expecting someone bigger. Jarvis was easily half a foot bigger than he was, though, and twice as thick-bodied. He was a firefighter, Weylen had said. He was dressed casually- a little too casually. He wore a slightly yellowed tank-top, jean shorts, and nothing else.

"Mr. Dingo. Nice of you to come by." He turned to Weylen. "Go put your books upstairs, and give me some time to talk with your teacher, son." Weylen complied without a second thought. Darwyn rather wished he'd have stuck around.

His father reminded Darwyn of someone. It took him a moment before he realized that he had a build not too different from his old coach, Philip Packer.

"Name's Jarvis," he began directly, offering his large hand to Darwyn. The science teacher's eyes wandered down just to get a look at the thing as he offered his own in return. The wolf's grip was strong and steady. "Darwyn, right? I'm surprised my son knows you by your first name. When I went to school, all we ever learned was the last one."

"Y-yes, well,-"

"Come in," he beckoned. "Join me in the den; we're gonna have a little talk. You like wine?"

"Er, sometimes," Darwyn admitted, passing by the father wolf as he held the door to the house open for him.

"I've got a full cellar and a bunch of bottles upstairs," Jarvis offered.

"Thanks, I'll be okay with water," Darwyn responded cautiously. The den wasn't quite what he'd call neat. There was a pile of clothing to one side of the couch, including a pair of underwear atop it. Darwyn opted to take a seat on the couch. He was rather surprised when Jarvis took a seat on the farther end, just a foot away.

"I was surprised to hear you wanted to throw my son a party. Especially since he says he's only known you for a little over a week," the large wolf began. "The thing is, you've caused a bit of a problem for me," he explained, chuckling darkly.

Darwyn's unease only seemed to grow by the moment. "I did? I didn't mean to. I meant no disrespect-"

Jarvis raised an eyebrow. "Disrespect? Oh, you mean by showing me up, throwing a party yourself, for my son?" He grinned before scooting a bit closer. Darwyn nearly shot up out of his chair when he felt the wolf's powerful arm wrap around the back of him and grip his far shoulder.

"W-what are you doing?" Darwyn almost didn't want to turn his head to meet Jarvis's gaze, and yet once he did, he felt like he couldn't look away.

"Let me explain something," Jarvis remarked. "I told Weylen I was working on his birthday. However, I'd gotten it off, and I was planning a surprise party for Wednesday. Once he did that, there was no good way to tell him he couldn't go, so that he'd be around for the one I threw on Wednesday. He still doesn't know about that," Jarvis explained.

Darwyn only nodded, still very aware of the grip on his far shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"I know you didn't know," Jarvis assured. "And the thing is," he continued, dropping his voice down. "since I'm not working, I want in on this party. He wanted the water park. That place easily runs twenty bucks a person."

"Yes," Darwyn assured. "He mentioned that, and I can cover-"

He felt a jab as Jarvis reached over with his other hand to poke Darwyn in the nose with his pointer finger. "You're not paying a buck for my kid's party. It's not your job. But Weylen likes the idea of you doing it, so you're still spearheading it. I'm going to give you $300. That's enough for you, him, and thirteen kids. You're going to need a chaperone besides yourself."

"Oh no," Darwyn tried to assuage. "It's not necessary. Thirteen kids, I can handle that. I do classes of twenty."

"Not at a water park you don't. They're not gonna be sitting at little desks. So I'm gonna chaperone it with you."

Darwyn swore he felt his heart drop into his stomach. "I can handle it, really."

"I'm going. But Weylen's not gonna know. It's a surprise when I show up."

"There's no way I can talk you out of it?" Darwyn asked hopefully.

"That's my son and it's his sixteenth." The statements seemed to answer it.

Darwyn realized that he was sliding out of his sheath, growing excited. He hadn't planned on it, and now that he'd become aware, he really didn't want it. It didn't fit at all. He was rather intimidated by Jarvis, and he felt stuck, right now. There was no way of handling this pool party without him. Weylen wouldn't think well of him for backing out now.

Jarvis squeezed Darwyn's shoulder. "So don't breathe a word to him about that. $300 enough?" he asked.

"Oh, quite enough, plenty," the dingo reassured. There was no stopping this erection. He couldn't reverse it. Darwyn looked away and tried subtly maneuvering his hand over his groin to flatten out the region. The pressure only seemed to make it harder to deny.

"All right. Don't worry about the food and the cake. I'll be bringing that. You know that plaza they have, kinda in the center? Not far from the string of food court booths?"

Darwyn nodded.

"Good," Jarvis commented. "I'm gonna have it set up there. Figure I'll do that and get a bit of swimming in, myself."

Darwyn was throbbing beneath his trousers, and that strong grip on his shoulder with Jarvis so close just was not helping matters.

"All right, lemme find my wallet." Jarvis finally let go of Darwyn's shoulder and stood up from the couch. He peered around the room, eventually heading over to the pile of clothes so that he could fish it out of the trousers within the pile. Darwyn, meanwhile, remained seated, not wanting to get up to move.

Jarvis started counting out twenties. "Good thing I headed to the bank this morning," he stated. Having found the amount, he moved closer to offer Darwyn the money. As Darwyn's right hand was occupied with concealment, he offered up his left hand to accept the funding. Darwyn only realized too late that his mistake was trying to cross over and put that money into his right pocket.

The father wolf certainly caught it. His eyes were on Darwyn's right hand. "Well, thank you again for stopping by," Jarvis commented, and he offered his right hand to shake Darwyn's.

Darwyn felt his heart jump. It felt intentional, but he saw no way out of it. Darwyn offered his hand, gripping it, revealing his throbbing erection silhouetted by the bulge his trousers. Jarvis used the grip to pull Darwyn right to his feet almost before he knew it was happening.

"I, uh, seem to have that effect on the guys that come into this house lately," the wolf commented suggestively.

The dingo felt as if he would be crushed from the sheer embarrassment of the moment.

"Weylen did mention he talked with you about what went on here between me and Ichitro," the big lupine added. "I was appreciative that you didn't turn the matter into something bigger. Maybe now I have a clue as to why."

Eyes closed in pure sheepishness, Darwyn only nodded before offering a weak comment to get out of there as soon as possible. "I'll be going now."

Jarvis shrugged. "We've got a bathroom down the hall," he proposed. Whether his comment was sincere or patronizing, Darwyn couldn't tell.

As he stepped out and moved briskly to his car, all he could think was that he wanted to get as far away as possible.

-------------

Wednesday arrived quickly. It was a very mixed day for Darwyn. Then again, everything felt mixed, lately. He had a much better handle on why he had such a strong reaction to Jarvis, but he didn't know any better how to control it. Now he would be chaperoning a pool party in front of students. Nothing could possibly go wrong there, could it? No, nothing at all.

Darwyn was put in charge of the invitations. Weylen had only come up with six students he wanted to invite. That felt like too small a party, especially given that Jarvis had slated enough money for at least ten students. Perhaps more than anything else, Darwyn wanted to give a bit of a social push to the shy student.

"You really sure it's okay?" the young coyote asked. Ben Avery seemed to be deciding how to handle the invitation.

"I'm sure he'll be fine with it," Darwyn reassured. "You get on well with Weylen from what I see. I think he'll remember the event better if a few more people go. You can bring someone, if you want. Two more, even. I can cover two."

Ben shrugged. "I didn't get him a gift. Think money'd be fine?"

Darwyn nodded. "Money's almost always fine. You need a ride?"

"Nah, we can get one," the coyote contended.

Darwyn had mentioned to Weylen that he'd see about getting another student or two to go. The wolf had responded noncommittally. He hoped he was doing the right thing.

-------------

When the final bell rung, nothing could have brought more relief or trepidation to the science teacher at one time. "We're going to be having a test on Friday on volcanoes, earthquakes, and seismic shifting. Make sure you're ready for it," he called out to the class as the students packed up.

As the students filed out, Darwyn wandered over to Weylen's desk. "Well, you all ready for your party? Anyone that needs a ride there?"

Weylen smiled a bit. "Actually I'm glad you asked that. I kinda invited somebody last minute today."

"Yeah," a familiar voice called from the doorway. "It's awright if I come along, right Mister D?"

The accent said it all. Darwyn turned to confirm that his mind wasn't playing tricks. "Riley! I- Weylen invited you, huh?"

"Yeah... why, 'zat odd?" the kangaroo demanded a bit gruffly.

"No," Darwyn commented, glancing back at Weylen with a surprised look on his face.

The young wolf finished putting his items in his backpack. "Riley, he kinda knows what we did. I told him."

Riley pulled the door shut before turning back to Weylen and their teacher. "What the hell's the matter with you? You think that's something I want spread around? I find out I get a reputation around here as a faggot, you-"

"HEY," Darwyn belted out, immediately rounding on the student. "We do not use that term here. Weylen told me in confidence, and to my understanding, he's not told anyone else. But I don't ever want to hear that word again from you."

"Why not?" the kangaroo challenged huffily, still visibly upset by the news. "Bad enough Ichitro and the damned weasel know it. Now you know it. The hell's wrong with people. Nothin's private to ya. Nothin'. And the minute I try and enforce my own privacy which I have a right to, I get hit with threats 'a expulsion or havin' my parents told or-"

"Riley?" Weylen interjected quietly. To Darwyn's surprise, Riley stopped talking. "I trust Mr. D. He's a good guy, and he's kinda helped me with... stuff. Wanna wait in the parking lot for us?"

Darwyn was absolutely dumbfounded when the gruff Riley who would have rejected being told what to do on its mere surface, in the teacher's mind, anyway, just nodded and yanked the door open to leave. That only left Darwyn to look back at Weylen.

"I feel kinda bad for him. Mr. D-"

"Ichitro knows about you and Riley too? I guess it's not surprising if Weasel caught you," Darwyn mused.

"The thing is," Weylen continued, "I was kinda talking with Riley. I don't know how to explain it. Sometimes he acts like a badass, picks on people... sometimes me. But when nobody's around he acts all different. He's nicer, at least for a little bit, until he starts getting worried about getting caught or looking soft."

The science teacher nodded, figuring there was more to this.

"Riley doesn't get along with his parents. His mom, she runs the gifted program here. Riley says she's always spending her time talking about how bright her gifted students are. Never really seems to think much of him. Riley says it makes him feel stupid."

"Ahh," Darwyn commented, not sure what else to say as he mulled that over.

"But that's not the worst part. He was kinda closer to his dad. He says his dad's a lot more like him. Big, tough guy. Works at the mines. He's been spending a lot of time over at his dad's, up until a few months ago. He didn't really tell me what happened exactly, but. Anyway, getting caught the other day, it was really rough on him. I asked him to just come to the party, hang out, have fun, forget everything."

Darwyn nodded again. "You're not worried he's gonna make a scene or cause problems?"

"Well, a little," the small wolf admitted. "But I think he kinda needs it. I'm kinda worried about him. With the stuff we talked about and all."

Reaching into his pocket to make sure he had his keys, Darwyn grunted. "Well, your party. I invited Ben Avery too. I hope that's okay."

"Ben? Yeah. He's nice. I'm... wow. He's kinda popular. Surprised he's coming."

Darwyn smiled warmly. "Sometimes all you have to do is ask. He thinks you're a kinda cool kid too."

"Me?"

"C'mon, let's get going."

-----------

The ride to Aquageddon was a little awkward. Riley said very little on the way, even while Darwyn and Weylen were chatting casually.

Parking was rather painless, perhaps because it was a Wednesday. Darwyn and the two students approached the ticket counters and looked over to the benches on the side. Several others were gathered there, just as he'd instructed, waiting so that he could buy their passage to the park.

Alex Karzik was there, fiddling with some kind of handheld system- they were all the same to Darwyn. The dingo recognized Elizabeth Felix from another class of his. The lumbering, good-natured Guillermo had arrived as well. Ben Avery was also there, chatting with a lean-muscled fox about his age. Darwyn really should know the name; the boy was in one of his classes, but he never talked and didn't seem that bright. Troy something, he believed. On the far side of him was a tomboy squirrel. Darwyn was pretty sure her name was Jackie.

"Brought two, eh?" Darwyn called over casually to Ben.

The coyote nodded. "That's okay, right?"

Weylen commented quietly beside Darwyn, "Wow, a couple of the popular kids. Still surprised they came."

"Yeah," Riley commented. "Maybe this'll be fun after all!"

"So that's where we're meeting! You've gotta designate the spot better," a slick voice sounded from behind Weylen and his teacher. Darwyn turned to see Tech Weasel and Words. Very bright students, to be sure. Weylen had invited Tech. Darwyn didn't remember hearing that Words was coming. "We had to catch a ride with our sister since she can drive and we can't. This is Viva. It okay if she comes along?"

The slightly taller weasel behind them was, for all intents and purposes, a classic knockout of a young woman. With the angular face that just matched her shapely body with curves in all the right secondary features, she'd already caught several of the boys' attention from those gathered.

"Close yer mouth," Jackie commented to Ben Avery. "You look like an idiot."

"Uh, it's fine, yes," Darwyn mused a bit absently. "Everyone has a swimsuit, right?"

"We stopped home and got some," Words assured. Everyone there confirmed they had one.

"Ditto," chimed in a more stoic voice. Elizabeth Felix had arrived, and to Darwyn's mind, that finished off the guest list. Mentally, he took note. Aside from Weylen, seven boys, three girls.

"All right," Darwyn called, raising his voice. "We're heading in. Stick together until I show you the party area. We've got a long table slated on the side of the food court. Once we're set up there, you guys can enjoy the pool. No horseplay- and by that I mean any kind of rough stuff. You get kicked out and the only thing I will do is call your parents so you get a ride home."

It actually felt like he was leading the students on a field trip. They were actually well-behaved... aside from a few comments here and there.

"Would you look at her," Troy commented. "She's a senior, isn't she? Man, would I love to hit that."

Tech elbowed him from the side. "Hey, that's my sister you're talking about, not a piece of meat. Show some respect."

Troy peered over. "No, you're right, I'm sorry. ... Man, would I like to hit your sister."

"That's... better," Tech replied insincerely.

It didn't seem to bother Viva, who responded with a crooked smile as she glanced back at the fox.

The spread was fairly simple. The long table had A long name placard that read 'Weylen Wolf'. That made it easy enough to find. The more conspicuous thing was seated at the end of the table, and it's one that Weylen took note of easily.

"Dad!" Weylen called, actually rushing over as his father got up from the table. Jarvis was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a white t-shirt.

"What the hell makes you think I wouldn't be here for your sixteenth, huh?" Jarvis demanded with a broad grin. He gave Weylen a tight hug, and the young wolf didn't even seem to mind that it was in front of kids from school.

Darwyn just observed the dynamic. Weylen seemed a lot happier than he'd pictured him to be around his father. The students, meanwhile, settled into the area, putting their belongings down.

"So here's the deal," Jarvis explained, finally letting go of Weylen. "In an hour we're going to get together, you've got your choice of burgers, pizza, or hot dogs from the snack bar, there, on me. Everyone just write down on the sheet what they want." He indicated the sheet at the center of the table. "Meanwhile," Jarvis continued, "I'm gonna hit the pool in a few minutes."

Darwyn got the sense that Jarvis was going to assume control of the party. Somehow that didn't bother him at this stage. Weylen was getting what he wanted. After a few minutes of signups, everyone piled into the locker room area to change and shower.

Jarvis pretty much led the way. To a few amused or surprised murmurs, Weylen's father pulled his shirt off and slipped out of his shorts right away. Naked as anything, his sheath and balls an announcement of his not giving a damn, he addressed everyone. "Hey, I'm a fireman. You know how many guys I see naked and showering? We're the only ones in here. Forget about being bashful, we're all gonna be in the same boat here."

Amazingly, just about everyone followed suit, right after that.

"This doesn't seem kinda gay to you?" the fox Troy asked, even though he was just as naked as everyone else.

"It's only gay if you're planning to go down on somebody in here," Ben Avery quipped.

"Hmmph. You kidding? Only one I'd be after in this mostly sausagefest is Tech's sister." He reached into his shorts pocket to produce a smart phone. "Think she'd mind if I got a snapshot?"

As the students descended into chatter, with Jarvis good-naturedly joining right in, the dingo couldn't help but feel the odd one out. Jarvis had gotten the whole group of them naked without feeling odd about it. He was just very likable, talking with Weylen's friends and associates.

"All right, all of you, get into the pool, the hour's gonna slip right by!" Jarvis suggested as he sat down and slipped his trunks on. It didn't take long before the changing room emptied out, leaving only Darwyn and Weylen's father.

"This is working out pretty well," the science teacher began in an attempt at small talk.

"Yeah," Jarvis admitted. "Turns out nothing's ruined or compromised here." The wolf stretched his legs out, glancing over at Darwyn who was just changing into his own trunks. "You know, I was meaning to kinda... I didn't mean to make you feel bad, at the house."

The abrupt change of conversation had Darwyn wide-eyed and more than a little uncomfortable. "Oh that! Uh, yeah, sometimes... I don't know, it just happens, I guess, I don't know why," he rambled.

"Whether it was an accident or on purpose, either way's all right with me," Jarvis rumbled bluntly. "Though after the whole thing with Coach, uh, Ichitro I think his name is, you'll understand if I decline anything of that kind with another of his teachers."

Darwyn took a seat on the far side of the bench that Jarvis was seated upon. "I understand."

"Weylen, you know, he's a great kid. Works hard in school, doesn't let his smaller size get him down. Sometimes, he handles stuff so well, I don't even notice if he's having a rough time. He doesn't always bring it to my attention." Jarvis sighed, peering over at Darwyn. "When I was his age, sixteen, I would've fucked anyone that gave me the chance. Just never thought of it like that as he got older. My brother Alistair had a boy three years before me. Constantly got on me about how good his genetic stock was. His kid Oswald, six and a half feet, led the wrestling team, a ball of confidence, the ladies all over him. ... They put him in jail last year for armed robbery." Even though the wall was in the way, Jarvis glanced out where the pool was. "Weylen, he never gives me much trouble. He's good natured, does for others, doesn't want to inconvenience anyone. He may be smaller but I know who's the better kid and what really matters."

The dingo merely listened during all of this, wondering where it was going.

"And so, the thing with Ichitro, I had him over. Didn't think it would bother Weylen. I only found out after I caught him spying on me that it was. I talked with him about it, but I knew something had changed for it. We didn't talk as much the last few days. I finally asked him about it. He mentioned that he'd been talking with you, avoiding me and Ichitro both. He just didn't know how to talk about it. And I'm thinking, you know, we're the authority figures, we treated it either like what he did was bad or he shouldn't have had a problem with it, I think. Probably just... made it worse."

Darwyn started to say something, but Jarvis cut it off by continuing.

"He obviously thinks a lot of you. He's spent a few days over at your house. You bought replacement clothes for him. He paid you back for those, right?" Jarvis checked.

"There's no debt to speak of," the dingo replied with a smile.

Jarvis chuckled. "I've learned how to read through bullshit pretty well. He didn't pay you, and you don't want to be paid. You're gonna be paid anyway, understand? The Wolf family pays its debts."

Darwyn nodded. "Can I ask you something about Ichitro? Doesn't it seem like he'd just use somebody for the sex?"

Jarvis arched an eyebrow. "Ichitro saved my kid from acid burns. He befriended him. Weylen spoke highly of him a lot before he caught us together. I even wanna write him off and say that the dick can keep his little speeches and lessons to himself... but fact is, the one he gave to me, he had a point. Anyone who has Ichitro looking out for him is lucky, if you ask me."

"Huh. You know, he thought you were a pretty good guy too," Darwyn admitted.

"Why?" Jarvis asked with an amused smile. "You interested? I don't think he's the kinda guy that plays for keeps if you catch my drift."

Darwyn shook his head. "Nah, nothing like that. Doesn't it seem like he just got with you to get his rocks off?"

"So what if he did?" Jarvis challenged. "Not like I was looking for something deep. I wasn't gonna marry the guy. And I knew that's what he wanted. But I have one rule for anybody I ever sleep with. I have to respect them, and they have to respect me. Otherwise, the sex is gonna feel wrong. That doesn't mean I need to go buy an engagement ring. All that matters is that respect. If you ask me, people lose sight of that or they wrap it up in other concepts. You respect the person, you tell them what's really going on with you... things will be all right, I've always found." He thought back for a moment. "Course if I'm drunk enough, I guess I'm less picky." He chuckled.

Darwyn grunted. "I kinda had this one bad experience with somebody, growing up, I guess. Didn't respect me is the problem. Used me for sex, then tossed me aside."

Jarvis stood up. "There are people like that out there. You get better at spotting them. They don't always mean anything bad by what they do. Doesn't mean they don't bring it about. But you learn to avoid them. Not to let them ruin you for a better shot. The best lesson you can ever learn is how not to do the same to somebody else. You know what it feels like. Don't spread it around." He pointed at the pool. "This hour's gonna fly right by. Let's get out there."

-------------

"Dude, no. You can talk with me anytime," Ben Avery offered to Weylen as the two climbed out of the pool to get in line again for the waterslide. "You're a nice guy, and you're really smart. I run with my own crowd. I'm not too good to talk to anyone."

Weylen smiled, a bit embarrassed by that. This seemed to be turning out to be a nice party. He was getting a chance to bond with most of the students there. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Even Riley had stopped being his belligerent self and was just having fun.

"Hold on, you two," Jarvis called over to Ben and Weylen. The father climbed out of the pool, his swimming trunks plastered against his sheath in a way that left little to the imagination. Darwyn could only wonder if that was the subject of conversation as Jackie leaned over to whisper something to Viva, who giggled. "It's time to eat, do the cake and presents. Darwyn," he called over, "would you gather the rest of them over?"

The thin adult nodded, and started directing the ones who plummeted into the water to join the rest of the group.

A few minutes later, almost everyone was gathered. Just about everyone was soaking wet except for Viva, who'd spent the time sunbathing, not swimming.

"All right. I want to thank you all for coming here for Weylen's sixteenth birthday. I know for most of you, you've only gotten to know my son for a few weeks. Seems like with you showing up and letting the ice melt, some of you know him a little better." Jarvis gestured at Weylen, who blushed in response. "You know, I just realized we're going to have to get you a learner's permit, now."

"Shotgun!" Alex piped up. That got a few odd looks, but Jarvis chuckled.

"When he's got a permit, it means an adult has to be in the car. So they get shotgun. Anyway," the large wolf went on, "there were a few things I realized in the last few weeks, with you getting older. One is that I need to stop thinking of you as a young kid. So you'll be having a curfew of ten now, with midnight on weekends. Long as I know where you're gonna be," he cautioned. "It also means if you wanna have someone over the house while I'm working at the fire station, you can. One person, though. No parties." Jarvis cast a knowing eye over the group.

"Aw, maaan," Words said in mock disappointment, to the chuckles of a few.

"So, in conjunction with letting you take control a little more, you wanna do presents first or eat?" Jarvis asked his son.

Weylen grinned, knowing the answer. "Wouldn't mind doing presents first."

Darwyn's focus wandered in and out as Weylen opened his presents. There was some kind of video game from Alex. Many of the other students seemed to give money. It did get Darwyn's attention when Jarvis produced a sizable rectangular box from beneath the table. The shape of the box frightened him. What if that was a TechFox 360? That would be a hell of an awkward thing.

As Weylen peeled away the wrapping paper, he realized he didn't have to worry. "A new computer?"

"Well, the tower," Jarvis admitted, knowing that much. "It's got a terabyte of space, 32 ram. I forget the rest, but you're smart enough to figure it out."

Weylen beamed up at his father. "This is an awesome gift, Dad."

"Glad to hear it. Now, let's eat," Jarvis suggested.

-----------

The whole party was over before Darwyn was really ready for it. He cursed his own distracted introspection, but if nothing else, Weylen looked like he had a delightful time. Jarvis volunteered to take a handful of students home that needed rides. Going home at the end of the party, just as the night was beginning... it all felt like a lonely endeavor to Darwyn.

On the drive home, the canine realized he felt a little closer to understanding what was going on, within himself. He'd wanted to set something up with Weylen to rewrite a wrong that had happened to him so long ago. At the same time, actually turning such a longing into a sexual event didn't feel right at all. It almost felt like he'd be doing the same wrong, even if he knew he was not Philip Packer.

Jarvis confused him now, more than anything. At several points during the party, he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like with someone like the wolf, both physically and emotionally. He even humorously doted on the fact it would almost be like he'd be Weylen's dad, then too. Somehow, that felt rather nice.

Then again, Jarvis had already declined. Not to mention, Ichitro had gotten involved in something like that, and it just ended up a really confusing mess for Weylen.

------------

By the end of Friday's school day, Darwyn was pretty sure he'd figured it out. He still wasn't sure why Ichitro thought he would owe him such an apology. It was true. He'd probably judged the bat too harshly. He was probably tainting the current coach with what had happened when he'd had sex with his own high school coach as a teen.

Okay, so he had a point.

The classes were over, and he was left agonizing over the call as he paced within the boy's bathroom. The teacher's bathroom didn't feel right. Too many prying ears. He pushed the garbage can in front of the door so that he'd be able to hear if someone tried to come in.

No matter what, he wanted to get the call over with. Ichitro had been right. He did need to apologize. Though really, Ichitro wasn't the one he'd wronged the most. As he dialed, Darwyn made the decision to tell the one that needed the apology most.

"Hello?" The voice that came through on the end of the line was not Ichitro at all.

"Weylen?" the dingo asked, checking to be sure. He'd just been thinking about the wolf.

"Mr. D?" It was definitely the young lupine.

"Weylen! I'm surprised to- listen, you were the one I was hoping to talk to, anyway. I really want to apologize to you."

"You don't have to, it's okay-" Weylen began, but Darwyn cut him off.

"I do actually, Weylen. After I heard that Ichitro first had sex with you, and then had sex with your father, I... I just wanted you to have somewhere safe, I thought. Giving you the key to my house and giving you that stuff... it felt nice to do, but I know it was wrong. I had something else going on, Weylen. Some bad experiences that happened me when I was your age. And so I kept telling you I thought Ichitro was trying to take advantage of you, sexually. Or that your dad wasn't acting like a responsible father to you. Weylen, it was wrong of me to suggest those things. I'm pretty sure- hell, I know your dad cares for you very much, and it was just a misunderstanding. And Ichitro... well, he did present it as an option. He wasn't trying to force you into anything."

The quiver in Weylen's voice indicated his uncertainty at how to respond. "Mr. D, it's... I like that you care so much about me. I think you're a great teacher. But yeah. I really like Ichitro, too. We talked about it. I don't feel bad about it anymore. I know the time with my dad, it wasn't meant as anything against me."

Darwyn smiled. "Well, I'll have to tell the bat maybe he's not a jerk after all."

"Aww." The voice that came through was definitely not Weylen's. "That definitely makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, polo shirt. You're back on my Christmas card list."

"Very funny, Ichitro," he commented sternly. "What are you doing with Weylen anyway?"

"Since we couldn't hang out on his birthday, I suggested that he come watch the football game this afternoon. We're kicking ass, up by two touchdowns," the bat answered.

There was a bit of a shuffle on the end of the line, and Weylen's voice was present again. "Hey, Mr. D, I know you still don't think I owe you for the clothes, but my dad's expecting me to do something with the money. Tonight, could you join us for dinner? Me and the coach? I'll treat, since I want to do something nice for you with this money."

Darwyn thought about that for a second. "Yeah. Yeah, sounds great. I'll come join you guys for the game, okay?"

"Okay. See you in a bit!"

Darwyn hung up the phone. Admittedly, he did feel quite a bit better. He didn't feel as trapped by his horrible past experiences. While he still wasn't quite sure where he was going from here in the greater scheme of things, he knew one thing. He'd enjoy spending time with Ichitro and Weylen at the football game and at whatever restaurant they visited.

Darwyn moved the garbage can out of the way, then set off to join the two.

After the door to the bathroom had swung shut, from within the second stall of the boy's lavatory, the toilet flushed. As sharply dressed as ever, Vulpe made sure to straighten his tie as he came face to face with the mirror on the far side of the room, above the row of sinks.

Now, that had been an awful lot of information he'd just discovered. Even so, Vernon Vulpe doubted he'd forget a bit of it. He certainly wasn't about to let any of it go to waste.